Torn in Two
by GreenField
Summary: Dannyl is in love with Tayend. But what would happen if a year after THL,a new novice arrived and challenged everything that Dannyl thought he knew about himself? Will he choose pretty Aurelia,or stick with Tayend? Is love really all that simple? R &R. Cover image by ZurinaRose DeviantArt .
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is an idea that came to me, I swear, about twenty minutes ago, and is part of the reason Blue Diamonds is on hiatus (part of the reason – not all of it, honest!). Do you know why it came to me? Because, if I'm honest, I had a massive crush on Dannyl while reading the first book. Okay, I was in love with him. I admit it. Then my best friend broke it to me that he was gay, and, well – I was very depressed, I must admit. But I still have this massive crush on him. So, this is going to be a total what-if story, and I promise my views on Dannyl won't influence the ending in any way. I do not own Dannyl, the Black Magician trilogy or any of the involved characters except the ones I make up. Though if I did own Dannyl, trust me, he totally would be straight. Just so that I could have him. Hehe. Please review! Set after The High Lord.**

"It's only a visit" Dannyl assured Tayend, "I'll be back as soon as I can"

Tayend nodded, trying not to look as sceptical as he felt, "I know. You're an important person who has to occasionally report to the Magician's Guild. Nothing major"

Dannyl laughed, "When you put it like that...wow, I am important!"

Tayend laughed too, and embraced Dannyl quickly. Dannyl looked at him sternly.

"No ogling acrobats while I'm gone" he ordered. Tayend shook his head, grinning.

"Of course not. No falling in love with pretty young ladies while you're back at the guild"

Dannyl raised an eyebrow, "Ladies? Of course not"

They said farewell one last time before Dannyl climbed into the carriage and it drove away, back towards Imardin.

* * *

_I hate picking novices now_, Rothen thought with a sigh, _Especially as I know this one will be the last that I teach_.

Sonea sat beside him, holding her son Lorkin on her lap. The young boy looked around with interest, his dark eyes wide. He was not yet old enough to understand the process of the new novices' arrivals, but he seemed to be enjoying it all the same.

"It's a shame I can't mentor anyone" Sonea complained, scanning the line of nervous looking novices, "I know who I'd pick"

Rothen looked at her eagerly, "Who? I haven't got any idea who to choose – I just know that I would like to mentor one final novice before I give up at last"

Sonea laughed, "Well, anyone should be a piece of cake, after Dannyl and me"

Rothen nodded in agreement, "Indeed. Well, who shall it be?"

"Do you see that girl there, near the back of the line? The girl with the blonde hair?"

Rothen squinted until he spotted her, "Yes, I see her. She looks a little too old to be a novice. About twenty, would you say?"

"That's not old" said Sonea indignantly, "But yes, she does seem about that age"

"Why her?" Rothen asked, confused, "She's pretty, yes, but why her?"

The girl with the blonde hair looked up, feeling their eyes on her. She blushed, her dark eyes darting quickly back to the floor.

"She seems like she needs some guidance. Look at her, the way she looks so awkward and timid. I think she must be a little shy"

"Shy?" Rothen narrowed his eyes, "No, there's more to it than that, I can tell by the way you were watching her"

Sonea sighed, "Oh, all right then. Did you hear what house she is from?"

"House Velan, wasn't it?" Rothen asked, still bewildered. Sonea gave him a significant look that he failed to understand. She sighed again.

"Yes, house Velan. And what family is she from?"

"Delvon, I think. But you are still talking in riddles to me, Sonea"

Sonea rolled her eyes, but there was sadness in the gesture, "It's Akkarin's house, Rothen, Akkarin's family. That's why I'd choose her"

"Oh. I'm sorry, Sonea" Rothen mumbled guiltily, "I see"

"So, What do you think?" Sonea asked, trying not to sound too keen. Rothen looked at her, then at the girl, who had neared the front of the line. He took a deep breath.

"Oh, alright then. She can't be any more difficult than you and Dannyl"

"I'm not difficult" Dannyl hissed, slipping into a seat behind them, "What have I missed?"

Sonea turned and grinned at him, "I've just helped Rothen pick his final novice"

"Helped?" Rothen muttered, "Ordered, more like. I thought you weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow, Dannyl"

"I couldn't miss the choosing of my final predecessor, could I?" Dannyl joked, "Which one?"

"Aurelia of family Delvon, House Velan, please step forward"

The pretty blonde stepped forward to take her robes and make the vow. She looked around nervously.

"This one" Sonea whispered to Dannyl as they waited for the question.

"Would anyone like to volunteer as Aurelia's mentor?" Administrator Osen asked. Rothen took another deep breath and stood up.

"Yes" he agreed loudly, "I would"

Dannyl looked at the blonde girl and smiled.

"Ah" he said, grinning at Sonea, "That one"

**A/N: It will get better, I promise – this is just a sort of preview, so you get the background information ready for the first chapter. I thought I'd better make her blonde as I realised that none of my main characters are blonde – I didn't want to seem biased. It's set about a year after the High Lord, just so you know, so it might be a bit different to what the Epilogue suggests. Please review! xxx **


	2. Settled

Aurelia let her dark eyes scan the room slowly, looking around her for any sort of evidence that this was all a joke. She had been certain that no-one would choose her. Her mother had told her enough times that no-one would want her - not just because she was supposedly vain and stupid, but also because their family, their house, was tainted now. Her Uncle had abused his position as High Lord and she was going to pay for it. Apparently.

"Do you like it?"

Aurelia turned to look at the young woman with the short dark hair who held the baby on her hip. Her robes were black, unlike anyone else's, but she seemed nice enough and was around Aurelia's age. Aurelia smiled at her, and spotted Rothen and Dannyl staring at her as she did so. She remembered her father telling her that she would be able to stun any man with that smile. She had never actually tried it before.

"Yes, thank you" she said. Her voice was quiet, trilling at a high pitch. Her voice was almost as pretty as her face.

"I'm Sonea" said the woman gently, "This is my son, Lorkin"

"He's lovely" mumbled Aurelia, but she meant it as she beamed at the small, dark haired boy, "He's related to me somehow, isn't he?"

"He's your cousin, I think" said Sonea slowly. Aurelia nodded.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly. Sonea smiled at her, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Me too"

They stood, smiling at each other, for a few more minutes until Dannyl stepped forward, holding out his hand.

"I'm Dannyl" he told her, "I'm an Ambassador, so you might not see me very often"

Aurelia shook his hand, then flashed him her stunning smile, "What a shame" she said prettily. Dannyl laughed.

"Rothen was my mentor once too. Just like he will be to you"

Aurelia turned her smile on Rothen, but he was shaking his head slowly.

"I won't be your mentor. Sonea will"

"What?!" Sonea cried, shocked, "I'm not allowed, remember?"

"No-one will know. I will be Aurelia's mentor only for show. You can teach her. We'll keep it a secret. You two have such a connection already...it would be a shame to invade on it"

"Is that what you want, Aurelia?" Sonea asked the young novice. Aurelia considered for a moment.

"Yes" she decided, "Please"

* * *

"So it converts mind images...to paper?" Aurelia asked, hesitant. She didn't want to sound stupid by admitting that she didn't really understand how the machine was supposed to work. But Rothen had told her that it was such a clever and interesting project that she simply had to look, so she had gone with Dannyl nevertheless.

"It would do, I hope, if I ever finish it" Dannyl replied, surveying his abandoned work with a sort of nostalgia. He felt almost embarrassed to be showing Aurelia around his neglected, messy rooms, but she didn't seem to mind. He saw her following his gaze around the room thoughtfully.

"Your rooms aren't very tidy. They need a woman's touch. Does your wife not clean?" it sounded like she was taunting him, which he was rather surprised at. So far she had just seemed a shy, sweet, pretty little thing, incapable of wit or sarcasm. And here he was, proved completely wrong.

"I don't have a wife" he said awkwardly. He knew that soon Aurelia would discover his affair with Tayend. She was too close to them – it would be impossible for her not to find out, whether she was told or just simply overheard.

"Oh" Aurelia made a little popping noise with her full red lips. She really was beautiful, he thought absently. If he had normal preferences, he would probably have fallen for her. She had beautiful, glossy, honey curls and innocent eyes. Her skin was smooth and pale, her cheeks rosy, her rosebud lips the most startlingly natural shade of scarlet, her figure curving in all the right places.

"You could tidy up for me, if you wanted" Dannyl offered, with a small smile, "You could spend your evenings tidying and then when I visit again, my rooms will actually be usable"

Aurelia laughed, like the pealing of bells, "I don't think so. My mother always said that men would say anything to keep me in their rooms. I'm not allowed to trust them" she stopped laughing abruptly and blushed, "I mean, it's just – not that I think you would – I mean – I didn't –"

Dannyl laughed easily, "Don't worry, Aurelia. I won't take offence"

Aurelia gave a deep sigh of relief, "Oh, good"

They stood in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a couple of moments, both smiling slightly, but for different reasons.

"When do you leave?" Aurelia asked curiously. Dannyl looked at her, still musing to himself.

"In a month or so. Now that I'm here, there is apparently so much to do, and the Higher Magicians just won't let me leave"

Aurelia smiled again, "Good" she paused before asking nervously, "And what would make you stay?"

Dannyl, surprised at the question, answered with the first thought that came to his head.

"True love"

They stared at each other, Dannyl shocked and confused by the words that had just come from his mouth.

"But – But Sonea told me you have a love, in Elyne. That's why I assumed you were married" Aurelia responded, with a bemused frown. Dannyl shook his head.

"I don't know why I said that" he mumbled, falling silent. Aurelia stared at him still, stunned by the flutter of hope and delight she had felt when he said those two words.

He would stay for true love. That was what he had said.

She could help him find it. That precious, rare thing. True love.

With her.

Aurelia stood, giving Dannyl her prettiest smile, the stunning one; "I'd better go. See you tomorrow"

She smirked as his eyes followed her and made sure to add an extra sway to her hips as she left.

**A/N: I know it's kind of short, but I hope it's okay. I know it's been a while, but I had a serious case of writer's block with this, which I've never actually had before! Lol xxx**


	3. Plan

**A/N: Hope you enjoy this, I'm seriously hoping that I don't get writers block with this story again....please review!**

Aurelia stirred her food around her plate absently, trembling with fear. Rothen watched her curiously, Sonea with worry.

"Aurelia, are you alright?" Sonea asked eventually. Aurelia looked at her nervously, letting go of little Lorkin's hand, which she had been squeezing extremely tightly.

"No. Can't I stay here with you? You can teach me everything I need to know, I know you can! I really, really don't want to have to meet all the other novices. Mother said they'd all hate me because I'm stupid and silly and vain and my Uncle was a traitor – " she stopped, blushing, "Not that he was a traitor, I know, but...that's what she said. I'm scared!" she wailed. Sonea and Rothen stared at her in surprise. They hadn't realised the depth of Aurelia's shyness. And it seemed that it was all her mother's fault, poisoning her with wicked words.

"But Aurelia, you must go. Sonea was only taught separately because of her late arrival and strange amount of ability" Rothen said gently, "And what your mother says is not true. You're a lovely girl and I'm sure you'll make lots of friends. We all care for you already, and I'm sure others will be the same"

Aurelia still wasn't reassured, "No, they won't. Mother's right. They'll hate me"

"Aurelia, you're almost twenty. You can't keep on like this" Sonea added urgently, "Anyway, I'm sure you'll be a favourite with the boys"

Aurelia blushed, "I don't think so. Please, Sonea. Please, Rothen, I really don't think I can do this –" her lower lip shook and she started to cry. Rothen and Sonea looked helplessly at her.

Just then the door burst open and Dannyl appeared, looking bright and cheerful, "Morning, everyone! I came to wish Aurelia luck..." he trailed off, "What's going on?"

"Aurelia doesn't want to be taught with the other novices. She's worried about what they will think of her" Rothen explained briefly, but the look he gave his former novice was a cry for help.

Dannyl's heart melted at the sight of a tear-stained, terrified Aurelia. He walked over to her and smiled.

"What's this?" he laughed, teasing, "I didn't expect you to be the cowardly type"

It worked as he had hoped – her whole body straightened and she looked him right in the eyes.

"I'm not a coward" she retorted, slightly angry and very defensive, "Not at all"

"Then why are you making such a fuss?" Dannyl continued to taunt her. Seeing the anger in her eyes made him want her in a way he had never felt before.

"I'm not now" she corrected him coolly, "See? No fuss at all"

"I'm not sure I believe you"

"Well, you'll just have to, won't you?" she paused, "Why are you here, anyway?"

Sonea and Rothen watched in stunned confusion as Aurelia regained every ounce of the confidence and dignity that they never knew she had. Dannyl grinned at her.

"I bought you a good luck charm. I thought you'd be nervous"

"Oh, did you now?" she scowled, but then her face was taken over by curiosity, "What is it?"

He handed her a pretty clip he had found in his mother's jewellery box (he never understood why she had left that to him instead of his sister). It was a purple butterfly made of pretty gemstones, with silver backing to tie it into her hair. He didn't want to explain to her that he'd thought of her as soon as he saw it. That would just sound strange. It sounded strange even to him.

"Do you like it?" he asked anxiously. Aurelia beamed at him, remembering her plan with sharp intensity.

"I love it. Thank you" she looked over at Sonea, "Will you pin it into my hair?"

"Of course" said Sonea slowly, taking the pin and twisting it into her novice's hair with a little smile. She didn't know what was going on with Dannyl and Aurelia, but she knew that Dannyl certainly wasn't prepared for Aurelia's smooth charm, or the way that she made him feel.

Dannyl was beginning to realise that too.

* * *

"What do you think?"

Aurelia looked up to see a slim, pretty girl with mousey brown hair and big black eyes standing beside her desk at the back of the room. She frowned.

"About what?" she asked warily, wondering if the girl was going to play a joke on her.

"The boys, of course" the girl giggled, sitting down beside her, "None of them are very handsome, are they?"

"I wouldn't know" Aurelia shrugged, but she smiled, "I'm Aurelia"

"Gabrielle. But everyone just calls me Elle" the girl introduced herself, "And what do you mean, you wouldn't know?"

"I'm already planning to get someone to fall in love with me. If I start looking at the boys here it'll just mess up my plan" Aurelia explained in a whisper.

Elle squealed, "Ooh! Do tell" she pleaded, leaning closer. Aurelia laughed, turning her head away from Elle's eager gaze.

"I can't tell you today. Learning control has given me a terrible headache" she said sweetly. Elle laughed scornfully.

"Oh, what rubbish! Come on, I won't tell anyone"

"Oh all right" Aurelia turned back to her new friend, "Do you know Lord Dannyl?"

"I don't think so. Who is he?"

"The Guild Ambassador to Elyne"

"_Him_?" Elle gasped, almost falling from her chair, "You want to make an _Ambassador_ fall in love with you?? Isn't that just a tiny bit ambitious?"

"Maybe" said Aurelia, with a small smile and another shrug, "But yes, that's my plan"

Elle giggled, "Can I help?"

Aurelia surveyed the girl for a couple of moments. She seemed friendly, trustworthy, and she was the only person who had bothered to come over and talk to Aurelia. So she nodded.

"Yes" she agreed, "I would love it if you helped me"

**A/N: Please review!**


	4. Mistake'

**A/N: Yes, I know it's been the longest time ever, and I'm really so sorry! But I was re-reading the trilogy the other day (and am now reading The Ambassador's Mission), and remembered this story, which, if I'm honest, I had completely forgotten about! Thank you ever so much for the reviews you have left during my loonnnnggggg absence, please leave more now to let me know what you think!**

"I've had an idea" whispered Elle across the gap between their two desks. Aurelia looked inquiringly at her friend, trying to look as though she were concentrating on Lord Morren at the same time. He was taking Rothen's class, as Lorkin was ill, and Aurelia was missing Rothen's reassuring presence.

"Do you?" Aurelia quirked an eyebrow, "Go on"

"It's about the Ambassador – "

"Gabrielle!" Lord Morren snapped, "I can see that you will surely fail the test I have put together for your class tomorrow"

The entire class groaned, "But, Lord Morren, we've hardly learnt anything! We've only been here a week!" one of the boys protested. Elle nodded, though she was too embarrassed to speak after her telling off.

"I will only be testing you on the basics. That is, if Lord Rothen is not back teaching you tomorrow. His Head of Alchemic Studies duties may be keeping him busy"

Aurelia glared at the teacher – it was comments like that that kept her from liking Lord Morren. He often seemed jealous of Rothen's position, and anyway, he knew very well that the only reason Rothen wasn't teaching was because he was helping Sonea to look after Lorkin. She felt a little flutter of worry as she remembered that Lorkin had still seemed terribly under the weather that morning, after three days of fever. Still, Sonea was a Healer, she would know what to do.

The signal for the end of classes rang out, and Aurelia hovered in the doorway of the classroom, waiting for Elle, who was still being moaned at by Lord Morren. When Elle came to join her, she linked her friend's arm and looked at her expectantly.

"Well?" Aurelia prompted, "What is your plan? And tell me quickly, I want to see how little Lorkin is"

Elle grinned, "My plan had a fault before. But now that Lord Morren has scheduled a test for us, it is completely flawless. Lord Rothen cannot help you study, can he, as he is looking after Lorkin with Black Magician Sonea? And Sonea is of the Healing discipline...well, she is the most qualified in that sense. So who is the only magician left who can help you study tonight...?" Elle's eyes were twinkling. Aurelia squeaked and beamed at her friend.

"You're a genius, Elle! Thank you" she untangled her arm from Elle's and went to hurry away, but Elle stopped her suddenly.

"Aurelia..." she began, slightly awkwardly.

"Yes?" Aurelia turned, jittery with impatience.

"It isn't a game to you anymore, is it? It's been a month since you met him and now it's stopped being a game" Elle's voice was understanding, even sympathetic. Aurelia blushed.

"You don't know what you're talking about" she replied at once, and turned quickly away.

* * *

"How is he?" Aurelia asked as soon as she entered the rooms. She had become comfortable with Rothen, Sonea and Lorkin more quickly than she had expected. She thought of Rothen as a kindly grandfather of sorts, and Sonea akin to a sister. It helped that little Lorkin really was related to her, so she felt calm around him. And it helped also that he was the loveliest baby boy in all of Kyralia.

Sonea smiled warmly at her, "He's getting better. I think it will have broken by the morning, but we shall keep an eye on him tonight, just to be safe. We have been healing him all day"

"That's good news" Aurelia smiled back – Lorkin was out of the woods and it would still be a good excuse for her to work with Dannyl rather than Rothen and Sonea.

"How was your day?" asked Rothen, "Shall I fetch Tania to make dinner?"

"I'm not hungry, actually" in this aspect Rothen also reminded her of a doting grandparent; he was always trying to feed her up! "My day was fine. Lord Morren is a ridiculous replacement for you, though. He's terribly grumpy. And he's set us a basic Alchemy test tomorrow"

Rothen looked abashed, "Oh, what timing! I can't possibly help you revise, not with Lorkin so ill"

"It's all sorted" Aurelia waved a hand airily, "I...I spoke to Ambassador Dannyl earlier. He offered to help me study tonight as he knew that the two of you would be preoccupied"

Sonea laughed, "Ah, we can always count on Dannyl. You'll give him our thanks, won't you, Aurelia?"

"Of course...I'm going to go in a minute, I've just got to..." she hurried off before she had finished her sentence, leaving Rothen and Sonea smiling knowingly behind her as she pinned up her hair using the hairclip that Dannyl had given her. She chewed roughly on her lips to make them all the more scarlet, and dashed away without so much as a goodbye, a pile of Alchemy books in her arms.

* * *

Dannyl was startled to hear a knock on his door. His Ambassadorial duties had not been piled on as heavily as he had expected, and he had been spending time looking at his old invention to convert mind images to paper. The time had flown by, and he was sure he was not expecting any visitors. Still, maybe it was Yaldin and Ezrille come to visit, or Rothen bringing him news of poor little Lorkin. He had meant to visit, but had completely forgotten.

He rose to open the door and was startled to see Aurelia, a pile of books in her arms. It looked as though she had just come from class...but surely she would have wanted to see how Lorkin was getting on? And she hadn't had her hair tied up like that that morning, when he had seen her from the window of his rooms.

"Good evening, Ambassador" she said prettily, tilting her head slightly, "I wondered if I could ask you a favour?"

Dannyl winced – coming from a young, pretty girl like Aurelia those words sounded sordid and wrong. But he smiled brightly at her.

"Come in. How's Lorkin?"

She gazed around his messy rooms with much the same fondly curious expression she had worn the first time, before locking her pretty eyes with his, "He's getting better. Sonea and Rothen think the fever will have broken by morning. But you see, the problem is...I have an Alchemy test tomorrow, and they are too busy looking after Lorkin to help me. And your chosen discipline is Alchemy, after all, so I wondered...if you might help me?"

Dannyl heaved a soft sigh of relief, "Of course, I'd be glad to help. Have you eaten?"

"No, but I'm not hungry" she smiled at him again, and something warmed within his chest. He pushed it away and cleared space for them both to sit at the circular table that contained all his work. He took the books from her and flicked through them, smiling.

"Wow, I'd forgotten a lot of this. I don't think I'm going to be much help" when he looked up, he was alarmed to see that Aurelia had angled her body so that she was closer to him, and was gazing at him. She tore her eyes away with what looked like a Herculean effort and looked down at the book. A curl of soft honey coloured hair had escaped from the clip and was delicately stroking her neck. Dannyl couldn't take his eyes off of it.

"It's this that I don't quite understand..." Aurelia pointed to the page, looking up at him innocently. He looked back at her, feeling horribly embarrassed by the intensity of her gaze.

"That was always my worst subject too" he said quickly, looking back down at the book, "I know it's only basic, but sometimes even the basics can get confusing...I think I can explain it to you now, though, if you'd like?"

"Please" she agreed softly, popping her lips on the 'p'. He swallowed.

And, quite suddenly, before he even had time to see her lurch towards him, Aurelia was kissing him.

Really, really kissing him.

And he kind of liked it. Infact, he really liked it.

But just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended, as Dannyl pushed Aurelia away. She stared at him, her eyes huge in her reddening face. She straightened in her seat, trying to hide her blush.

"Don't pretend you didn't like it" she said, almost cocky in her belief. Dannyl stared at her, horrified.

"You shouldn't have done that, Aurelia" his voice was firm, but quiet, and he could no longer meet her eyes, "Why did you do that?"

"Because you're not a lad" Aurelia retorted, just as firm, "I'm telling you right now that I'm sure you're not a lad"

"How do you...how do you know about that?"

"Sonea told me. About your friend Tayend. She knew I'd find out sooner or later, and she didn't want to cause you any embarrassment. So she told me. But I knew from the second she told me that it wasn't true"

"Well it isn't a lie, Aurelia" Dannyl was starting to get angry. Aurelia continued looking at him calmly, though her eyes were sparkling -with what, though? Mirth, or unshed tears? For a moment, Dannyl saw her Uncle Akkarin in her – in that moment, she was a mystery.

"You're lying to yourself and you don't even realise it. Because everyone around you was convinced you are a lad, you started to believe it yourself. And now you can't remember ever being unsure about what you are. But you're not a lad"

"Aurelia, this is none of your business. And you're a novice. If anyone had come in just then and seen you kissing me, we'd both be in a lot of trouble. I think it's best that you forget this theory of yours, because it isn't true" Dannyl was never good at being harsh or angry with anyone, but Aurelia presumptuousness had irked him. And the fact that part of him wanted desperately to kiss her again certainly wasn't helping.

Aurelia looked right into his eyes and reached out towards him, intending to take his hand. He pushed her hands away.

"Get out of my rooms, Aurelia" he snapped, his tangled emotions getting the better of him, "Leave"

Aurelia rose elegantly from her seat and managed to walk steadily to the door. It was only when she got outside that the facade crumbled and she crumpled outside Dannyl's door, weeping.

Dannyl pretended not to hear her.


	5. Trouble

**A/N: It took longer than I anticipated for me to get the chance to do this...I'm warning you now, this chapter is rather...suggestive. Which will cause anger in some Dannyl/Tayend lovers. I've basically just told you what happens. I'm now hoping for the first time that you readers don't read author's notes. Please review, thank you so much for the previous ones, I really appreciate them!**

"Come on, Aurelia, it's a Freeday! Shouldn't you be doing something?" Sonea's constant fear was that Aurelia would be like her, and have no friends among the novices. Aurelia did nothing to discourage these thoughts – here she was, on a sunny Freeday, sitting playing with her baby cousin instead of spending time with her friends!

"I'm fine here, honestly" Aurelia threw a pretty beam at her mentor, though the smile did not reach her eyes. She had seemed sombre and thoughtful the past few days, but Sonea thought that that might be because Dannyl had not visited them for the past week. She had warned Aurelia that he was a lad, but if she wanted to carry on on this foolish route, that was up to her.

"What about your friend Elle?" Rothen queried, looking up from his book, "She seems like a nice girl. Is she busy already today?"

"I'm not sure" Aurelia looked up at him thoughtfully. She had been waiting for this moment. She hadn't wanted to lie to them outright, but they were pushing her now, so it wasn't really lying...was it?

"I might go and see if I can find her" she said, making a great show of getting up and stretching, "It would be nice to see her out of lessons"

"Exactly" Sonea beamed, relieved – she wanted to look after Aurelia because she liked her...but also because she felt that if she didn't, it would be letting Akkarin down. And she could never do that.

"See you all later then" Aurelia kissed Lorkin and waved goodbye to her two mentors. Once outside, she checked furtively around her, and, upon seeing no-one, started towards the magician's quarters. She hadn't seen Dannyl since the...kiss. But she was sure of what she had to do next.

She knocked tentatively on Dannyl's door.

"Who is it?" he called, warily. She couldn't say that she blamed him for his caution.

"Aurelia" she replied, "Please, let me in"

Dannyl heaved a deep sigh before opening the door, "You'd better come in, I suppose"

He had spent the past week as far away from Aurelia as he could possibly get. There was an instinct within him that was urging him to kiss her again, so he thought it was best to keep far away enough to stop it from happening.

"Hi" she looked around his room again, smiling slightly, as always, " I just came to...talk to you"

"I'm not sure you should be here" Dannyl responded wearily. Aurelia shook her head, her golden hair swaying over her shoulders, around her face.

"I know you don't want to talk to me. But I really think that we should talk about this rationally...about what I said"

"What you said was wrong" Dannyl retorted sharply. Aurelia looked him right in the eyes.

"I don't think it was. You enjoyed it when I kissed you, you can't deny that. And you came away from your home with Tayend, and haven't yet returned"

"I came here because my duties as an Ambassador made it necessary, and I wanted to see how Sonea was holding up. I haven't yet left because I'm enjoying being back here"

"More than you enjoy being with Tayend?"

That inquiry, put so politely, sent a silence creeping over the room. The sentence dropped like a stone into water, making an impact on the surface, and deep within. Dannyl stared at Aurelia.

"I don't – "

"You told me that you would stay for true love. You haven't left. That suggests that you've found it"

"Aurelia, don't be ridiculous" Dannyl's face was reddening with annoyance, "Not only are you female, for goodness sakes, you're a novice! If anyone even found out that you are in here, you'd be in trouble, let alone mentioning the kiss"

"Let alone mentioning the kiss..."Aurelia repeated, looking unconcerned, "Or this"

"Or what?" Dannyl frowned at her, completely lost. She swallowed audibly, and untied the sash of her robes. They fell to the floor with a dull thud – she wore nothing underneath. Dannyl's eyes widened.

"Aurelia, what the hell do you think you're playing at?" he asked, but his voice had somehow lost all conviction. Aurelia looked him square in the face, unembarrassed.

"You refuse to believe me when I tell you that you're not a lad. So I'm going to show you instead" she stepped towards him, "You going to pretend that you don't want me now?"

Dannyl gulped, "No" he couldn't help it, his eyes roamed unceasingly over her body. He had to admit that he had never seen a woman naked before, and he was slowly beginning to regret that fact. The one thing that worried him slightly was that Aurelia did not look nervous or awkward or naive – she'd done this before. She knew exactly what she was doing.

She kissed him again, interrupting his thought process, and removed his robes as she did so. She looked pleased only now that he stood naked in front of her. Aurelia guided him towards his own bed – she was pressed so close to him that she could feel his heart pounding erratically against her chest, as well as the rhythmic thud of her own lustful heart.

And Dannyl's doubts were soon forgotten.

* * *

Hours later, Dannyl had dressed once again. He was seated on the edge of his bed, waiting for Aurelia to wake up from her light snooze. What the hell had he done?

He felt movement on the bed behind him and Aurelia moved towards him from behind. She leant her head on his shoulder; she was still naked. He felt her breasts press against him, smelt the scent of her that was now already familiar to him as she kissed his neck, wound her arms around his waist.

"You must understand what I meant now" she whispered.

"Hm" Dannyl mumbled non-commitally, concentrating on ignoring the warmth of her body and the softness of her lips.

"Do you want to do it again?"Aurelia asked persuasively. It took all Dannyl's willpower to then shrug her away.

"I think you should leave, Aurelia" he handed her her robes, not looking back over his shoulder. Aurelia moved away from him quite abruptly; he felt the icy chill of being without her body.

"What? You've had your way, and now you want me to leave?"

"If I remember correctly it was your way, Aurelia"

"Oh yes, and the fact that you were screaming my name totally meant that you didn't enjoy it" she sounded absolutely furious. He heard the rustling as she pulled on her robes, and came to stand in front of him. He could not bring himself to look at her.

"I've done everything I could to prove to you that you're not a lad. And at first it might have been a stupid game, a foolish need to show someone that I'm not stupid, that I can read people, but it's not anymore. I've fallen in love with you, couldn't you tell? I've done everything for you. And now I'm done"

Dannyl buried his head in his hands as she stormed out. What the hell had he done?


	6. Revelations

A**/N: Hi! I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, which made me sad , and I'm hoping it's not because the chapter offended anyone...anyway, as one lovely reviewer correctly ascertained, you weren't supposed to like Aurelia. You weren't supposed to hate her, but you definitely weren't supposed to like her. THIS is the chapter when you (hopefully) decide that she's not all bad after all. Please, please review, I will give you cupcakes! (That's a lie. But please review anyway. Consider it your good deed for the day!) This chapter contains a sensitive theme.**

"Aurelia?" Sonea knocked lightly on the door to the spare room where Aurelia had slept. Rothen's quarters had magnified since Sonea had explained to the guild leaders that she liked to stay in the same place as him, as he helped with Lorkin and her grief. Although Aurelia had her own rooms in the Novice's quarters, she much preferred to stay with her two mentors and young cousin, despite Lorkin frequently waking her in the night with his cries.

It was now quite late, and Aurelia still had not left her bed. Sonea was beginning to worry – Aurelia was usually an early bird, much like herself, and was always ready for classes in plenty of time.

"Aurelia, you're going to be late" Sonea said softly, opening the door and peering in. Aurelia was curled up in her bed, her hair tangled around her face and fluttering over the pillow. She did not look as if she would wake anytime soon.

"Aurelia!" Sonea gave the young woman a gentle shake on the shoulder. In her sleep, Aurelia smiled and reached out her arms. Then she woke with a sudden jolt, her eyes red and bordered by heavy bags and grey shadows.

"Goodness me, Aurelia, you look..." Sonea trailed off, not wanting to offend the delicate girl.

"Awful?" Aurelia supplied, "I feel awful. Oh, Sonea, I don't think I can face classes today"

Sonea nodded, "I thought not. I'll go and tell Rothen to tell all your teachers before he leaves for class, and then you can tell me what's wrong, okay?"

Aurelia nodded too. As Sonea left, she mentally prepared a series of weak and feeble lies in her head. She considered pleading a sick bug, an upset stomach, a touch of fever. But Sonea, as a Healer and Black Magician, would be able to spot these lies instantly. She would have to tell Sonea what was really wrong.

She rose from the bed slowly, pulling back the sheets to air them, and dragging a heavy dressing gown on over her nightwear. When Sonea returned, Aurelia looked much more composed, though still with puffy eyes and messy hair. Sonea pulled up a chair beside the bed, holding Lorkin on her lap. He gave his pretty cousin a gummy smile, and she squeezed his hand.

"You're not sick" said Sonea at last, after waiting fruitlessly for Aurelia to speak, "Something has upset you. If you're being bullied in classes, Aurelia, I'm the best person for you to tell. I've been there, I completely understand"

Aurelia shook her head, "Oh no! No, I have Elle for my best friend, and the others all seem quite nice. No, it's not that" she hesitated, "You're going to be disappointed. You might be angry with me"

"It can't be all that bad" Sonea responded gently, though she wasn't sure.

"I went to see Ambassador Dannyl last night - I, um...I kind of turned up unannounced, I mean, he didn't know why I was there, or anything"

"And why were you there?" Sonea was already confused.

"Because I'm convinced that he isn't a lad, and he doesn't believe me. So I wanted to...persuade him to believe that what I said was true"

"And how did you go about doing that?" she asked, though she was sure that she already knew.

"I slept with him" Aurelia barely raised her voice above a whisper; she could not meet Sonea's eyes.

Sonea sat very still for a few moments, frozen. Aurelia finally looked to her, tears in her eyes.

"Please don't be angry with me...I mean, it wasn't an accident, I knew what I was doing, and so did he, eventually, and I only did it because I'm sure he's not a lad and because I've really, really...fallen in love with him" she gabbled. Sonea groaned.

"Oh God, Aurelia. Not that I'm one to lecture you on age-gap relationships, but at least mine took place outside the guild. This is within these walls, you could so easily be discovered"

Aurelia snorted, "I don't think there's any worry to be had there. Afterwards...after we'd...you know...he told me to get out. He didn't want me anymore afterwards" her voice was bitter, and full of anguish, "I'm done with it now"

"It doesn't look that way. Oh, Aurelia"

"Are you angry with me?"

"I'm a little disappointed, but not angry, no. I understand why you did it, I'm just...confused"

"What about?" now Aurelia looked puzzled, and was wiping her eyes hurriedly.

"I really thought Dannyl was a lad, but if he did that with you...well, I just don't know anymore. And there's something else, too..."Sonea hesitated, reddening, "I mean, how did you know what to do? I always knew because it's the sort of thing you hear talk of in the slums. But in the houses, I didn't think people were so...open to discussion about it"

Aurelia looked away, her face turning pale, "It's a long story"

"Aurelia, we have all day. You can tell me"

Lorkin made a funny squawking noise, as if in agreement of this fact, and Sonea fixed Aurelia with her warm brown eyes. Aurelia took a deep breath.

"It's not something usually talked about in the houses" she agreed, "I don't know where to start"

"Wherever is best for you"

"Um...alright. I always think of it as beginning with my first memory of Uncle Akkarin...he came to see us one day, on a visit...I can't remember why, I think it may have been my father's birthday. I was only about three, and I idolised Uncle Akkarin from the minute I saw him. He's just so mysterious – or he seems it, when you're only three years old"

Sonea chuckled wryly, "He was mysterious however old and wise you thought you were, trust me"

Aurelia smiled feebly, "I can imagine. Anyway, I followed him around that whole day. And when he was about to leave, he crouched down to talk to me, he said it was a secret, and could I keep it. So I said yes, of course – what child doesn't think that they're the best secret keeper in the world? And then he asked me something very strange..." she paused awkwardly, "He asked me if my daddy ever came to see me when I was in bed"

Sonea's eyes widened in horror. She knew where this story was going, she'd heard of it happening before. But Aurelia didn't seem inclined to stop talking. Now that she'd started, she seemed to want to get it all out of her system. She'd obviously never told anyone before.

"I said no, because at that point in my life, he didn't. He hardly ever came near me, but then again, neither did my mother. And Uncle Akkarin said to me 'Well just be careful, sweetheart. Don't let him be mean to you when you get older'. So I promised that I wouldn't. Uncle Akkarin must have known even then what my father was like, but you can't explain something like that to a toddler. He didn't come to visit anymore after that – I suppose he thought that I was safe. And I was, for a time" another pause, "It started when I was seven years old. My father told me that it was what all fathers and daughters did, that it was a duty of mine, and that one day I'd grow to like it. I believed that lie until I was eleven years old, and my best friend told me that it wasn't normal. She never spoke to me again after that conversation"

"Aurelia, you don't have to tell me anymore" Sonea urged gently. Aurelia shook her head.

"No, I want to tell you. I trust you. It carried on until I was thirteen. I finally stood up for myself then, said that I knew it wasn't right, I didn't want to do it anymore. But my father...he told me that I had to do it, otherwise I couldn't go to the guild. And Sonea, you have to understand, the guild was always my escape. I knew that if I got here, I'd be safe. He said that I had to do everything I said otherwise I couldn't go. And I refused. So I had no escape, because although I wasn't being raped by him anymore, I still had to live in that house that suddenly seemed to small, feeling how much he hated me and wanted me at the same time. It was disgusting. I had no way out. I even tried to push to my mother the idea of me getting married, just so that I could get away, but I think she had known what was going on all those years, and she hated me too. She knew I wanted to leave, so she said no" a smile suddenly spread across Aurelia's face, "My father died last year. Someone killed him – it turned out he owed a few debts. I didn't do it, but I wish I knew who had. I'd marry them in thanks! As soon as I heard, I told my mother to apply to the guild for me. By then she just wanted me out of her sight. So she did it, and I was free. And here I am"

"Aurelia" Sonea had tears in her eyes, and she hugged the young girl fiercely, "I didn't know, I'm so sorry"

"It's alright" Aurelia's eyes were tearing up too, "But I decided that I wouldn't do it properly...you know, it...unless I fell in love. And I have. But Dannyl doesn't want me now, so it was a waste. I waited all that time, and it was a complete waste"

Sonea rose from her seat, "Will you take care of Lorkin for a minute? I need to go and speak to Dannyl. I need to tell him what he's done to you, and get him to make up his mind"

Aurelia opened her mouth to protest, but Sonea had already gone.

She marched down to Dannyl's rooms, her eyes smarting with tears over Aurelia's plight. She could tell from the girl's voice and the look in her eyes that she really loved Dannyl, and that was not a good thing.

Dannyl's door was not locked, and Sonea barged in without preamble. But there was no-one there.

When she opened the wardrobe, Dannyl's clothes were gone. He'd cut and run back to Tayend, without a word to spare for any of them, let alone poor Aurelia.

How was she going to break it to Aurelia?


	7. Home?

**A/N: Hi! Before I start I just wanted to say how pleased I am by the reactions to the last chapter, I'm very grateful for the reviews, and especially for Laura Scofield's compliments about my writing! I think I have a new friend there . Anyway, please review this chapter, I would be very happy! Thank you for reading.**

Dannyl had never felt more like a coward in his life.

He'd not said goodbye to Rothen – Rothen, who was his dearest friend! – or poor Sonea, who was already having such a difficult time, or little Lorkin, or even...her. Aurelia.

He had thought that not saying goodbye to her would make it easier to forget about her. The only person he had told of his departure was Administrator Osen, and that was only because he needed Osen's agreement. But he hadn't told Aurelia, and, if he was honest, it hadn't stopped him from thinking about her. Thinking about how beautiful she was, how...amazing she made him feel...how her face had crumpled in despair and her words had cut him to the core after he told her to get out. He was a coward, and he was a cheat.

So he was running back to Tayend.

* * *

"Tayend? I'm back" Dannyl called cautiously as he entered the splendid house he and his lover shared in Elyne. The Elynes were under the impression that the two had gone into a researching business together, collecting information about magical history for the guild's use. Dannyl was pretty certain that back home in Kyralia, however, the Higher Magicians were aware of his relationship with Tayend, and of course his friends were. And Aurelia. Damn, why couldn't he get her name out of his mind?

Tayend emerged from the study, a glass of wine in his hand and his fingertips stained with ink – such a familiar sight that Dannyl's heart warmed to see him. A smile spread across Tayend's face.

"I'm so glad to see you! I didn't think you were ever coming back!" he laughed delightedly, and kissed his lover. Dannyl threw himself into the embrace, not only because he felt guilty, but because he realised that he had really and truly missed Tayend and his company.

Dannyl rolled his eyes, "Well, you know what it's like at the guild. I only went there to see the new novice, and they ended up piling endless reports and questions on me...I thought I'd never get back to Ely – you" a lie, but a sweet one. He did love Tayend - he needed only these few minutes to remind of the fact that he really did love this man.

"Tell me all about it. Come and have some wine" Dannyl dumped his luggage and followed Tayend into the room where they worked, which had definitely been tidied in his absence.

"I see you took the opportunity to clear up some of my mess" he observed, amused. Tayend grinned.

"Well you know I can't stand all your rubbish hanging around, I thought you were less likely to complain if I did it while you were absent. Look, it's wonderfully well organised" he said with pride, pouring a glass of wine for his lover and flopping into an armchair. Dannyl did likewise.

"Well?" Tayend prompted impatiently, "Hurry up and tell me all about Rothen's new novice so that we can go to bed"

Dannyl laughed loudly, "Still as forthright as ever, I see"

Tayend made a mock bow, "Of course. Now, come on – what's he like?"

"_She _is..." Dannyl faltered – should he really be sitting here talking about Aurelia? But then, Tayend did want to know... "She's called Aurelia, she's twenty"

"I should have known that Rothen wouldn't go for another male novice after all the trouble you've been for him. So, I want details! What's she like?"

"Sonea was more trouble than me!" Dannyl protested good-naturedly, "And she's, um...sweet, I suppose. She's quite clever – one of the houses, but nice enough, no airs and graces or anything. We thought she was shy at first, but it turns out she's actually _very_ confident"

"I like the sound of her" Tayend nodded, "And it's a lovely name. But I meant what does she _look_ like? Pretty?"

Dannyl shrugged as if he didn't think that she was indeed the prettiest woman he'd ever seen, "You could say that. Blonde hair, brown eyes, dainty , you know the sort"

"She sounds like me!" Tayend laughed, "But female, obviously"

Dannyl's eyes widened – Tayend was right! In looks, she was like him, thought not in character...maybe that was his excuse for being so attracted to her. He grinned, instantly pleased by this idea. Tayend huffed loudly.

"Oh, you can tell me about the rest in the morning. We should go to bed"

"It's three in the afternoon"

"Yes, and I'm not planning on doing much talking"

* * *

Dannyl had been back for almost a fortnight when the letter arrived. He didn't recognise the writing, and for a moment, he had fears of it being from Aurelia. He hadn't thought about her too much, after the initial first conversation with Tayend, but this second week he had been thinking about her a lot more than was good for him. She'd even featured in his dreams a couple of times, which had certainly been rather awkward.

Dannyl took a deep breath, still looking at the letter. He might as well read it while Tayend was out – else there would be a lot of questioning.

_Dannyl, _

_I know everything about what happened between you and Aurelia. She confided in me because she was so distressed that she had no-one else to turn to. I was..disappointed in her at first, and very surprised at you. Truth be told, I'm still surprised, but I'm no longer disappointed._

_Aurelia told me something that I really think you should know. I don't think she would want me to tell you – she was worried about even telling me. But I think that you should be made aware of how fragile that poor woman really is – though I doubt that she seemed all that fragile when you were sleeping with her. Didn't you wonder how she knew what she was doing? I suppose men don't think about such things, even men like you, who I like and trust. Aurelia was abused by her father from when she was only seven years old. He raped her repeatedly for six years, telling her that it was normal, and a duty of hers. She believed him until she was eleven, when her only friend found out and told her it wasn't the norm at all, and then deserted her. When she was thirteen, she refused to put up with his attentions, and he, in turn, kept her from coming to the guild. That's why she didn't turn up when she was sixteen, as she was supposed to. But her father died last year and her mother, sick of the sight of her own child, finally sent her here, to us._

_Aurelia is in a bad way – I doubt she has felt like this since she was thirteen years old, tortured with the dilemma of granting her father's demands or not going to the guild. I will not tell you how I am so sure of this, because I feel that that would be one piece of information too many; but she loves you, very much. It was cruel of you to tell her to get out after your night together, which you were to blame for as much as she, and even crueller of you to walk away without saying goodbye. Rothen is hurt, thinking that he has upset you, and Aurelia is devastated. _

_I am not asking you to return if you don't wish to. I am only telling you of Aurelia's plight, in the hope that you will feel some regret for hurting her._

_Sonea._

Dannyl read and re-read the letter three more times, his hands shaking. Poor, beautiful Aurelia. What had he done to her?

He definitely couldn't go back now.


	8. Heartache

**A/N: Sorry, this one has taken me a while to get round to! I feel very guilty. Thank you, Laura Scofield, for your help, support and fun BMT discussions. Please review!**

"You still haven't been sleeping well" Sonea said sympathetically as soon as Aurelia stepped into the room. She had returned from her classes looking drained, her eyelids heavy. She forced a big smile, though it was more of a grimace, for Lorkin, who tottered up to her crying, "Lia, Lia!" – the only part of her name that he could say.

"I'm exhausted" Aurelia agreed, flopping down beside Sonea and Rothen, "And I have some reading to do for Warrior skills classes. I'll probably pass out over the page"

"Why have you not been sleeping?" Rothen asked, with a fatherly concern that Aurelia still wasn't used to. She exchanged a quick glance with Sonea.

"I just think that the work is getting to me a little right now. I wasn't prepared to work so hard, if I'm honest" she lied, smiling back at her guardian.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough" said Rothen gently, "Sonea was always exhausted after classes too – I'm sure you're not the only one who feels that way"

Aurelia said nothing – she was definitely the only one who felt the way that she really did. Rothen squeezed her arm and fetched she and Sonea some raka.

"I'm going to take Lorkin for a little walk, I need some air" Rothen said at last, picking up the beaming little boy and smiling at the two women, "You two can talk about Sonea's experiences as a novice. Believe me, Aurelia, Sonea was at least as tired as you are"

As soon as Rothen was gone, Aurelia let her fake smile fall and sagged back into the chair, cradling the warm cup of raka.

"Sonea...I really miss him" she mumbled, blushing slightly. Sonea gave her hand a small squeeze.

"You've got to try not to think about him, Aurelia. Put him out of your mind" she advised warmly. Aurelia scowled, temper flaring due to her tiredness.

"Like you've forgotten all about Akkarin, I suppose?" she snapped. Sonea flinched, looking at Aurelia with hurt eyes.

"That was cruel, Aurelia. It is also an entirely different situation. Akkarin is...dead. He's gone. Dannyl is still here"

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Aurelia groaned, burying her head in her hands, "I didn't mean it, honest I didn't. I'm just so upset, so tired..."

"I know, I know" Sonea soothed, "I understand. The amount of horrible things I said to Rothen after Akkarin died...oh, they don't bear thinking about!"

"I can't imagine you being horrible to anyone" Aurelia laughed weakly. Sonea raised an eyebrow.

"Akkarin would tell you, if he could...I can be pretty intimidating and mean, when I want to be"

"Were you mean to Uncle Akkarin?" Aurelia asked, "I mean, I know you were when you were his novice, because you resented him then, but after you were exiled together...?"

"I was a lot nicer to him by that point, if you know what I mean" Sonea smirked, making Aurelia giggle, "But I was never afraid to stand up to him, not like most people were. Even in those precious few weeks that we had together as a couple, we had our fair share of arguments"

"But you did love each other, didn't you?" asked Aurelia, "You loved him more than anyone in the world?"

"Oh yes, definitely. I never thought I'd feel like that about anyone...I mean, I had a hint of it with Rothen's son Dorrien, but nothing like what I felt for Akkarin. I can't imagine that I'll ever fall in love like that again, though I know he'd want me to" Sonea's eyes took on a dreamy, distant look, and Aurelia wondered what she was remembering.

"Sonea, I'm sure that's what I feel like. I can't imagine loving anyone but Dannyl!" Aurelia cried in despair, "And he's not a lad, I'm sure of it, especially after that night"

"Did he, um..." Sonea reddened slightly, but she felt that the question had to be asked, to establish an answer that could help Aurelia, "Did he appear to be, um...enjoying it?"

A pink tinge appeared on Aurelia's cheeks, but she was grinning, "Oh yes. He definitely enjoyed it. He was making rather a lot of noise"

Sonea giggled – having had no female friends for a long time, she'd never had a conversation like this before. She felt like a teenager again; not that she was much past those years. Aurelia couldn't help giggling also.

"Well, he was!" she cried, "But then, so was I"

Sonea burst out laughing again, "Oh dear, Aurelia. I don't quite know what to say to that"

They sat there for a minute, chuckling happily, and smiling at each other. Aurelia looked at Sonea.

"I'm glad I came here, Sonea. Rothen's the only person who's ever acted even the slightest bit fatherly towards me – other than Uncle Akkarin that one time. And I adore little Lorkin, he's the only member of my family who actually seems to like me. And you being here is like having a big sister" she paused, "Even if I don't know what to do about Dannyl, even if I'm feeling terrible right now, I'm so glad that I have all of you"

Sonea hugged her, feeling rather tearful. These sweet sentiments from Aurelia, combined with the memories of Akkarin that their conversation had produced, had made her feel very emotional.

"We're glad to have you here, too. Now go and get some sleep. I know it's early, but if you get to sleep now you'll wake up early enough to do your reading before your Warrior skills class"

"Thanks, Sonea. Say goodnight to Rothen and Lorkin for me"

"Of course"

* * *

Later that night, after Rothen had returned and Lorkin had also been put to bed, the 'father' and 'daughter' sat together over a glass of wine that they both sorely needed.

"Sonea, what's really the matter with Aurelia?" Rothen asked, taking a sip of the alcohol, his blue eyes bright with concern, "I'm sure there's something that the two of you aren't telling me. You two are like daughters to me – I'd prefer to know if anything is upsetting either of you"

"Oh, Rothen" Sonea sighed, "I wish I could tell you. But it's Aurelia's secret, and Aurelia's prerogative to either tell you or keep it to herself. I'm sure she'll tell you sooner or later. If she hasn't told you within the week, however, then I will – else I fear that you'll be kept in the dark for good"

Rothen nodded, "Alright then. Just keep an eye on her for me, and I will too"

"I already am" Sonea laughed wryly, "I already am"

Once Sonea too had retired to bed, Rothen pulled forward his writing equipment. He knew that Aurelia and Dannyl had gotten on very well, and that having Dannyl return would probably improve Aurelia's happiness greatly. Dannyl had already apologised for his sudden departure in a letter, telling Rothen that he had heard talk of Tayend being gravely ill. To Rothen, this read like a lie, but he had not questioned it. Instead, he set about composing a new letter, though mind communication would have been swifter. Still, it was late, and Dannyl might be abed.

_Dannyl,_

_I know you left the guild eager to spend time with Tayend, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could resolve yourself to return. Aurelia has been very down and distressed by something or other lately, and although she blames it on schoolwork, I am sure that there is something else behind it, though she will not tell me what. I believe Sonea knows, but she also refuses to speak of it. I know that you and Aurelia always got on well together and enjoyed each other's company, and I believe that it would brighten her considerably if she were to see you. It's just a thought, but I'd like it if you could come back. For her._

_Best wishes, and hoping to see you very shortly,_

_Your friend, Rothen._


	9. Return

**A/N: I think this is the quickest update I've ever done! Thank you so much for the reviews -please do the same on this chapter! Thank you!**

"I can't believe you have to leave again so soon" Tayend complained, pouting. Dannyl laughed at the expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, I know it's not ideal. But I told you what Rothen said – they need me back straight away. Apparently there's going to be a lot of important Meets this month that I'll need to be involved in"

"This month?" Tayend groaned, "That's ages. I'm going to miss you"

"I'm going to miss you, too" Dannyl leaned forward to briefly kiss Tayend, "I'll keep in touch, though. I'll write"

"A lot" Tayend supplied, "You'll write a lot"

"Yes, I promise" Dannyl pushed his luggage into the cart, "See you soon, Tayend"

"Bye!" Tayend stood waving after him long after Dannyl had departed. Something had struck him as odd this past month or so, and he wasn't entirely sure what it could be...only that he didn't like it.

* * *

Aurelia, Rothen and Sonea were sitting in a small circle on the floor in their main room, playing with Lorkin, when a knock came at the door. Rothen, knowing who it must be, leapt up at once to answer it, a smile on his face. Aurelia looked at Sonea, who had Lorkin climbing over her and trying to sit on top of her head.

"Why did Rothen look so happy? He must know who it is"

Sonea shrugged – Rothen had not told her or Aurelia of Dannyl's impending arrival, "Maybe he invited Yaldin and Ezrille here for a chat"

Aurelia looked worried. She didn't much like Yaldin and Ezrille - they had always adored Rothen, and they liked Dannyl and Sonea very much, but neither of them seemed to have taken to Aurelia. Consequently, they sort of scared her.

They heard voices – male voices – talking jovially, and then Rothen re-entered, with Dannyl at his side. Dannyl, who hugged Sonea in greeting, and picked up little Lorkin, but did not even look at Aurelia.

"Dannyl!" Aurelia gasped, her whole body trembling and her face turning pale at once. Dannyl was determined not to look at her, because he knew that the second he did, the something he felt whenever he was near her would come over him again, and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

Aurelia rose elegantly from the floor and met his eyes with an attempt at iciness that actually came off as pathetic and longing. Dannyl met her eyes with a resolution to remain unaffected by those warm brown orbs, which actually turned into him falling under her spell all over again.

"Hello, Aurelia" he said stiffly. She gulped, loudly.

"Hi" she mumbled. Rothen laughed loudly.

"Come on, Dannyl! I asked you back to cheer her up, not make her more miserable!" he joked. Dannyl reddened, but Aurelia smiled.

"You came back for me?" she asked, her face brightening. Dannyl's eyes widened in horror as he realised what she thought.

"No! I mean – no – I came back because...because Rothen said he thought me being here might...make you happier. I didn't – I didn't come back FOR you!"

"Oh" Aurelia turned away slightly. Rothen was frowning at the atmosphere between them that he didn't understand, and Sonea was just itching to comfort Aurelia.

"I'd better go and unpack" said Dannyl at last, "I'll see you all tomorrow"

"There's a Meet tomorrow" said Rothen, as he led Dannyl to the door, "Will you be going?"

"Not tomorrow night. Maybe to the next one, though" he hesitated, "Bye Sonea, Lorkin. Aurelia"

"Bye Dannyl" Aurelia whispered, and promptly fled to her room.

* * *

"You'll be alright looking after Lorkin, yes? The Meet should only last an hour or so" Sonea promised, smiling at Aurelia and her giggling son.

"Hopefully less than that" Rothen put in, pulling a face, "Come on, it'll start even later if you're late"

"Why me?" Sonea frowned as they left the room, "It doesn't matter how late I get there, surely? I'm a Black Magician, for goodness sake" she gestured to the black robes that had been given to her after the war. Rothen chuckled.

"Exactly. Therefore, you are possibly the most powerful person in the Guild. Therefore, the Higher Magicians feel that they can't do anything without your approval"

Sonea laughed, "I'd have thought that I'm the last person whose approval matters! A Black Magician, a former slum girl, the lover of the most powerful (not to mention the most lying) magician there ever was, and a mother at only twenty, with unfinished Healing qualifications"

Rothen grinned, "You always think of the negative things. Now, you must tell me – what's the situation with Aurelia and Dannyl? I can't help feeling that I'm missing something vital"

Sonea sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. But we're definitely going to be late"

Rothen looked worried, "Oh dear. I have a feeling I'm not going to like this story"

* * *

Aurelia looked at the clock. Sonea and Rothen had only just left, they'd be ages yet. And she simply had to talk to Dannyl.

"Come on, Lorkin. We're going to see Dannyl. You like Dannyl" she scooped him up and he gurgled, prodding her happily in the cheek. She sighed and cuddled him tight.

"I think I'm going to need all the comfort I can get" she mumbled, carrying him on the way to Dannyl's rooms.

"Aurelia!" Dannyl looked surprised, and not too happy, to see her. She smiled nonetheless.

"Can we come in? I think we need to have a little talk" she looked at him pleadingly over Lorkin's dark curly head. Dannyl opened the door and let her in, watching as she placed Lorkin on the floor to allow him to roam.

"I don't think that you should keep coming in here, Aurelia. I left to get away from all this"

"And then you came back" Aurelia pointed out. She was looking at him with penetrating eyes, trying to figure him out.

"I came back because Rothen asked me to, and he's done so much for me. I didn't come back to see ..you" even to his ears, the words sounded harsh. Aurelia visibly flinched.

"Don't' soften the blow any, will you?" she muttered crossly. Dannyl moved towards her.

"I'm sorry, it came out badly. But I'm not going to keep dancing around you all the time. I'm with Tayend, Aurelia, I love Tayend"

"So you're telling me that you didn't think about me at all?" she asked, disbelief written all over her face. He had a sudden recollection of what she looked like without her robes on, and had to take a couple of paces backwards.

"I'm not saying that I didn't think about you - "

"So you did come back for me?" Aurelia interrupted eagerly, "I knew it! I told you, Dannyl, you're not a lad, I was always so sure of it – "

"Aurelia, be quiet! You're wrong, I can't believe you haven't realised that yet. Would I have gone back to Tayend if I didn't love him?"

"You went back to Tayend because you were scared of what happened between us. You were scared of what you were feeling, and what you felt while it happened" Aurelia snapped. Dannyl lost his temper at the truth in her words.

"_You don't know what you're talking about! You're just a child!"_

Aurelia glared at him, "Don't you dare call me a child. I've never been a child, I never had the chance. Don't you dare even think that you can tell me what I am"

Dannyl also recalled what Sonea's letter had said, and he understood what Aurelia was saying. She had turned slightly away from him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, though she was red with rage.

"This is your fault" she hissed, "You did this to me. I've been miserable since you went away – I told you I love you, and you just leave? That's not what's supposed to happen, Dannyl. Even if you don't love me back – which you do – you could at least have the decency to tell me to my face. You don't just leave. You're not a coward!"

"Fine then" Dannyl retorted furiously, "_I don't love you!"_

Dannyl's yell reduced Lorkin to tears. Aurelia scooped up the baby to soothe him, burying her face in his dark hair to hide her own tears. She stood there, sobbing silently, trembling all over, for a few moments. Dannyl regretted his actions at once. He shouldn't have told her like that – it had sounded so cruel even to his ears.

He moved hesitantly towards her, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. As he went to do so, he felt desire for her all over again, so that it almost overwhelmed him. He flinched away from her once again, and she looked up at him with fierce anger in her eyes.

"Goodbye, Ambassador" she growled, storming out of the room, leaving Dannyl standing there in extreme confusion about his own emotions.


	10. Unexpected

**A/N: Just wanted to say thank you SO much to _Azlira_, who has reviewed from the very beginning – it's much appreciated! And _Laura Scofield_ – I miss you, where have you disappeared to? Anyway, this chapter may make you think that you know which way the story's going to go, but you don't – especially as I've changed the ending entirely now. Hehe, I love keeping you all in suspense. _Please review_!**

Aurelia looked at Sonea from underneath her tangled blonde hair. She needed to talk to Sonea, desperately, but she kept putting it off. And now that Rothen knew everything, it would be harder to keep this latest development from him. But she had to tell Sonea first – Sonea, who always knew what to do and say.

She had told Sonea and Rothen of the argument that she and Dannyl had had, and Rothen had been horrified by how harsh Dannyl had been – he was very fond of Aurelia, and didn't like to see her upset. She had grown so much since those first few weeks, when she had been awkward and nervous, easily upset. She had grown into a confident young woman who was trying with all her might to bear the weight of sadness on her shoulders and escape the shadows of her past, and Rothen admired her for it. Sonea wanted to confront Dannyl, as she felt almost maternal to Aurelia nowadays, but instead just made more of a fuss of her than usual, and encouraged Lorkin to do the same. She knew that Aurelia had always found great joy in her young cousin.

But this was different. Aurelia appreciated how much Sonea and Rothen cared about her – no-one else ever had, not since Uncle Akkarin – and she loved them for it, but would they love her after she told them of her fears?

"Did you have a good day?" Rothen asked after a few minutes of this quiet contemplation, "You were quiet in Alchemy" he was leafing through her class' written books as he spoke.

"It was alright" Aurelia shrugged, "And I know, sorry. I did understand it all, I just didn't feel like answering all that much. You don't mind, do you?"

"Well, you've got a lot on your mind" said Rothen slowly, willing to let her get away with anything, "But it would be good if you could speak up a little more. You're easily one of the best in the class"

Aurelia smiled, "Thank you. I will, I promise"

"How's your friend Elle?" Sonea asked. Aurelia laughed.

"Oh, she's very well. She loves hearing about my misfortunes – she's not very comforting, just tells me what I did wrong...but it does make me laugh" Aurelia brushed back her hair, a gesture of agitation, "Can I speak to you both about something?"

Lorkin suddenly decided it would be fun to climb up Aurelia's leg and clamber onto her lap, sensing that she needed a cuddle. She squeezed him tightly, smiling down at the little boy – they'd gone through a lot lately, her and Lorkin.

"Anything" Sonea responded at once.

"We'd be glad to help you" Rothen agreed.

Lorkin squeaked his agreement, rambling in baby talk as he pushed her cheek with his fat little palm.

Aurelia took a deep breath.

"I think I might be...expecting"

"Expecting what?" Rothen frowned, not wanting to read deeper into the word. Sonea gasped.

"Aurelia! I – I don't know what to say!"

"Oh God, she doesn't mean _that,_ does she?" Rothen groaned, burying his head in his hands, "Not another one"

Aurelia winced, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know when to tell you...I've been thinking, if it's true, if I am, I understand if you don't want me to stay here. I'll go back...to my mother"

"No you won't!" Sonea protested, "If you're right, you'll stay right here with us"

"She's right, Aurelia. I didn't desert Sonea, I'm not going to desert you" Rothen added, his voice muffled behind his hands. Aurelia looked between them anxiously.

"This might all be a big fuss over nothing, I don't _know_ that it's true"

Sonea moved towards her and rested her hand over Aurelia's stomach. She used her Healing senses to enter Aurelia's body with her mind, searching for anything unusual. Aurelia's organs were working fine (she thought she'd better check, while she was there) and she was very healthy. But then there was something else, something lingering...another presence.

She pulled her mind back to the present, eyes wide, "Aurelia, you're right. You're going to have a baby"

"Oh my. Oh my God. Oh hell" Aurelia gabbled, stunned, "What am I going to do? Oh my God"

"You mean you don't...want the baby?" Rothen asked tentatively. Aurelia stared at him, horrified.

"Oh no, that isn't what I meant! Of course I do...I mean, it isn't ideal, but you know how much I love children. You've seen how I dote on Lorkin, I've always wanted this. Just not now...not like this. Oh God. What am I going to do about Dannyl?"

"You're going to tell him!" Sonea cried as if it were completely obvious, "You're going to tell him right now!"

"You're angry with me" Aurelia mumbled, looking greatly distressed, "I thought this would be too much, I'm so sorry"

"Aurelia, we're not angry with you in the slightest" Rothen promised. Sonea nodded, grasping Aurelia's hand.

"I didn't mean to sound angry. It's just that I never got the chance to tell Akkarin that he was going to be a father; I don't want you keeping this from Dannyl. We all love you, Aurelia, we're your family now...and trust me, we've gone through this before, we can do it again"

Aurelia smiled warmly, her eyes tearing up, "I can't thank you enough"

"You can" said Rothen gently, "You can go and tell Dannyl, right now"

* * *

Aurelia was certainly wary of seeing Dannyl again, especially after their argument of a few days previously. But she knew that Sonea and Rothen were right. Even if she did try to keep this from Dannyl for a while longer, it would only snowball into something even bigger and even less welcome to him. But she was terrified, not only of how he would react – what about the Higher Magicians? Dannyl had said before that if they ever found out just about the kiss, they would both be in massive trouble. A baby would hardly be welcome news!

"Oh, Aurelia. Come in" Dannyl held back the door, trying to avoid looking at her. He'd been hoping that she'd show up – once again he had avoided the rooms she frequented with Sonea and Rothen, inviting the two of them to visit him in his rooms instead. But he had something to say to her that just had to be said.

"Good evening, Dannyl" she said politely. She looked a little pale, and she was avoiding his eyes too.

"Aurelia, I need to say – "

"Honestly, Dannyl, I think what I need to say is a little more impor –"

"No, really, Aurelia, You'll have to wait, I need to say this"

"But – "

"Aurelia!"

"Alright! What is it?" she looked at him tersely, worriedly. She was scared of what he was going to say. Had he guessed? What if Rothen or Sonea had told him through mind communication before she arrived?

"I'm really sorry that I told you I don't love you. It's the truth, but I shouldn't have been so rude about it...I should have spoken more kindly. I'm very sorry about that"

"It doesn't matter, honest – "

"I haven't finished yet! I don't love you, I know it in my heart, but I do still...want you. And I don't think I can resist it any longer"

Aurelia's eyes widened, "What? I don't understand – " she was interrupted when Dannyl kissed her fiercely. She was so confused. If he didn't love her, then she shouldn't let him use her like this. And she was _supposed_ to be telling him that she was pregnant! But she still felt kind of dizzy when he kissed her...and she wanted him too...not like this, but it would do...

She'd tell him later.


	11. Arguments

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews – **_**Laura Scofield**_**, I am pretty much sure that you can read my mind, because you hit on two things that I had planned ages ago for this chapter...spooky! Please review, people! Thank you so much.**

Aurelia returned to her room in the early morning, and found Sonea walking up and down, comforting a wailing Lorkin. Sonea's eyes looked red, and Aurelia knew why – they all heard Sonea crying at night when she thought no-one could hear; they all heard her sob Akkarin's name in her sleep.

She moved quietely towards Sonea and Lorkin, "Are you alright? What's wrong with Lorkin?"

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" Sonea cried; she turned away from Aurelia – there were still some lingering tears on her cheeks, "I, um...I tried to stop him"

"What are you talking about?" Aurelia frowned. Sonea sighed heavily.

"Rothen decided that it would be okay for him to murder Dannyl now that you've told him..." she hesitated at the look of horror on Aurelia's face, "Oh no...you _did _tell him, didn't you?"

Aurelia gulped, "No"

"Aurelia!" Sonea shrieked. This sent Lorkin off into a fresh bout of tears, and Sonea patted his back hurriedly. Aurelia's eyes welled up.

"I didn't get the chance! He's using me!"

"Now what are you on about?" Sonea looked completely bemused, "Aurelia, what the hell is going on?"

"Oh God. Sit down – here, I'll take Lorkin. I need some practice. Now, I um...I think I had better tell you what happened tonight"

* * *

Meanwhile, Rothen was striding down the corridors, highly agitated. He doubted that Dannyl would be awake, but he would wake him. He loved Dannyl like another son, of course he did, but Aurelia was still a young, vulnerable and lovesick novice, and Dannyl had hurt her more times than was excusable. He didn't want to blame Dannyl, didn't want to be angry with him, but he didn't really see anyone else he could blame -other than Aurelia, of course, and she had enough to deal with.

Aurelia hadn't returned by the time Rothen had woken, and he was a little worried about her. The only reason she could have been so long would be because Dannyl was giving her a hard time, and he didn't want that to be the case.

The door was not locked, and upon opening it Rothen found Dannyl sitting at his desk, looking extremely confused, with a pen hovering over paper that he didn't seem to know what to write upon. He looked up, startled, when Rothen entered, but smiled.

"Rothen! It's a bit early for visiting, isn't it?" he said cheerfully. There was something in his eyes that told Rothen something had gone on that he would not entirely like.

"Where's Aurelia?" he asked, shutting the door and taking a seat. Dannyl reddened slightly.

"She left about ten minutes ago"

"And why was she here for so long? Were you giving her trouble? Because you yelling at her isn't what she needs from you at this time. She needs your support"

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Dannyl looked confused. Rothen's eyes almost popped out of his head. He stood up.

"What do you mean, what's wrong with her? Good grief, Dannyl, it's all your fault...you shouldn't have slept with her in the first place"

Dannyl, thinking that he meant that night looked embarrassed, "Oh. She told you?"

"Well of course she told me! I'm her mentor! And she could hardly have kept it from me. Did you even think about some form of protection?"

Dannyl began to look annoyed, "It's not exactly something I ever had to worry about before, is it? I mean, it's not the sort of thing that you bother about when sleeping with a man. And anyway, I thought she was taking care of it"

"But you weren't sleeping with a man! This is Aurelia we're talking about...and anyway, how could you expect her to think of something like that? She's a novice for goodness sakes, and her father would never have encouraged her to do it! You're effectively the only man she's ever slept with, and you thought that she'd know something like that?"

"Rothen, I don't understand. There's been no harm done, and it won't happen again, so – "

"No harm done! No harm done!" Rothen flopped back down, exasperated, "I love you like a son, I do, Dannyl, but I love Aurelia too, and how can you possibly say that? How can you possibly say that no harm has been done after that poor young girl has come in here and told you that she's carrying your child?"

"W-what?" all the blood appeared to have drained from Dannyl's face, "She's...what?"

"Oh God" Rothen looked suddenly horrified, "She didn't tell you, did she?"

"No, she didn't" Dannyl rose slowly from his seat, as though in a trance, "Where is she?"

Rothen saw the warning signals at once – Dannyl's temper was a harsh one, and he feared what Dannyl would say or do to Aurelia if he caught up with her.

"I think it's best if you just sit back down" he wrestled Dannyl back into the chair, "And calm down. I can't believe she didn't tell y – wait a minute. What was she doing here for all this time if you weren't arguing about the baby?"

Dannyl replied, completely tonelessly, "We slept together again"

"Oh Dannyl" Rothen groaned, "This is not what she needs! You're just going to confuse her, don't you think she has enough on her plate..."

"Confuse _her_!" Dannyl cried, "You think _she's_ the one that's confused! For God's sake, Rothen, she's by no means innocent in all of this! It was she who started it, she who seduced me, she who's lied to me...you think I'm not confused? I'm in love with Tayend, I know I am, but I have all these strange feelings for her that I don't even understand, and she does nothing to discourage them! And now she tells you, and probably Sonea too, that she's expecting _my_ baby, and she doesn't tell me? Isn't there a voice somewhere in her twisted mind that reminds her that I _needed to know?_!" he was yelling now, breathing heavily. Rothen looked at him anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Dannyl. I thought she'd told you. But just sit down, come on...just sit here until you calm down"

* * *

Sonea left to find Rothen as soon as Aurelia had finished telling her about Dannyl's strange behaviour the previous night. Aurelia sat alone, watching Lorkin sleep in his little bed.

A knock came at the door, a rather tentative knock. Caught up in her worries about Dannyl – he must have been told by now that she was pregnant – at first she did not answer it. The knock came a second time, and Aurelia moved, zombie-like, to the door.

A handsome young man stood outside, and Aurelia knew who he was at once, from his flamboyant clothing and the twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to disturb" he began chirpily, "But may I come in? My name is Tayend of Tremmelin, I'm a ...friend of Ambassador Dannyl"

"I know who you are" said Aurelia coldly, letting him in, "You can come in. But Dannyl isn't here"

"Yes, I know. But the lovely lady who I spoke to couldn't remember which was his room, and sent me to these rooms instead...she said Rothen and Sonea would tell me. You see, I know all about them, but I've never met them. I'm quite looking forward to seeing them, actually. Are they here?" Tayend had made himself comfortable on a chair, much to Aurelia's annoyance.

"How do you know that I'm not Sonea?" she asked haughtily, still standing. Tayend looked uncomfortable at the fact that she wasn't seated, but he smiled still.

"Because you're Aurelia. Dannyl told me that Rothen had a new novice, so I asked him to describe you...and you fit the description perfectly"

"Oh" Aurelia paused, "What did he tell you about me?"

"Not very much" Tayend responded unhelpfully, "I could do with a drink, if you have something, if it's not too much trouble?"

"There's not much point in you hanging around – like I said, Dannyl's not in here. What do you want with him anyway?"

"He promised to write often, and I've heard nothing from him. I was worried. Is he well?"

"Oh, fantastically well" said Aurelia, forcing brightness, "I saw him only a few hours ago"

"Oh, good" Tayend seemed pleased, "But I might as well wait here, until Sonea and Rothen return to direct me"

"There's no need for you to go and see him" Aurelia snapped, losing her temper, "He's perfectly happy without you here"

Tayend looked wounded by the crass comment, "Oh. I'm still going to go and see him. I think you're being rather rude"

"Of course I'm being rude!" Aurelia retaliated, laughing quite hysterically, "I loathe you!"

"But you've never met me"

"You're keeping Dannyl from being with me"

"But Dannyl's a lad" said Tayend gently, realising that she was just a spurned victim, "You wouldn't have had a chance anyway"

"A lad, is he?" Aurelia was smirking, glaring at Tayend, eyes burning, "Then why am I pregnant with his baby?"


	12. Confrontation

**A/N: I know this is a really quick update, but I really want to write this chapter, so there you go...thank you, Azlira, for that wonderful review. Please review, everyone, I would be so grateful **

"You've got to calm down, Dannyl" Sonea pleaded, "Aurelia is very distressed- "

"Damn Aurelia! You think I'm not distressed? Why is no-one thinking about me here?"

"Not everything's about you" retorted Sonea, realising that she and Dannyl were about to have their first fall out. Dannyl glared at her.

"I know that, I'm just saying – "

"Stop it, you two. It really is like watching two of my children fight. Can't you leave each other alone?" Rothen pleaded, healing away a headache that was fast developing.

The door suddenly came open with a crash. Expecting Aurelia, all three magicians turned round, Dannyl blazing with fury, Sonea looking anxious and Rothen ready to leap up and prevent them from brawling like alley cats.

Instead, Tayend stood there.

His eyes looked red, like he had been crying, and he was trembling as he stood in the doorway. Dannyl paled once more and his eyes widened considerably.

"Tayend!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" he ushered him in, shutting the door behind them. Sonea and Rothen exchanged wary glances, anticipating what had to come next.

"Exactly when were you planning on telling me that you're going to be a father?" Tayend's voice was cold, ringing out far too loudly in the tension-filled room. Dannyl gulped loudly. Sonea and Rothen both backed off towards the door, looking apologetically at Dannyl as they slipped away and left the two lovers to their quarrel.

"I, um...I only just found out myself! How do you know?"

"The little slut told me herself. Aurelia, isn't it? The shy and sweet little girl that you didn't have much of an opinion on. What an idiot I was to believe that" Tayend's eyes had filled with fresh tears, "How long has this been going on?"

For Dannyl, seeing Tayend in such pain was like a stab in his heart. He moved closer, holding out his hand, but Tayend jerked away from him. Dannyl sighed heavily.

"We only slept together twice" well, on two occasions...they'd slept together more than once on those two occasions, but that probably wasn't the best thing to mention at that moment, "And both times it was a complete mistake"

"And who seduced who? I suppose you're going to tell me that it was all her?"

"It was! Well...it was the first time. The second time was more...my fault" Dannyl had reddened slightly, and panic was beginning to overtake him, "Look, Tayend, it meant nothing. She's pretty, that's all it was – "

"Yes, and she's a girl" Tayend was fully crying again now, "It would have been just a bit less bad if it had been another man. I think I could have forgiven you for that. But this...she's a girl, she's thirteen years younger than you, she's a novice...and now she's pregnant. What do you expect me to say?"

"I - I don't know. But I love you, Tayend, you know that. Remember that day at Armje, when I told you – "

"Don't!" Tayend cried, "Don't even say it. I don't want to hear it" he moved away, back to the door, "I'm going home. Don't even think about following me. I can't forgive you for this"

"But you love me!" Dannyl exclaimed, "And I..I love you"

"Yeah. But you've got a funny way of showing it"

As soon as Tayend had gone, Dannyl crumpled to the floor, struggling to fight back tears. In less than 24 hours he'd cheated on the love of his life, found out that he was going to be a father and been dumped by the said love of his life. Could the day get any worse?

Oh yes, it could. Aurelia had just materialised in the doorway. She too, looked like she had been crying. It hadn't been a fun night for anyone.

"Just leave, Aurelia" Dannyl snapped, hurriedly wiping his eyes, "I don't even want to look at you right now"

"That's not what you were saying last night" said Aurelia, somewhat stupidly, she suddenly realised. Dannyl stood up, and she saw how upset he was. Tayend must have told him that it was over. She felt suddenly terrible, a chill creeping over her body as she realised that she had completely ruined his relationship. She had made the man that she loved the unhappiest man on the planet. Oh God. How could she ever correct that?

"I'm so sorry" she whispered, "It's just...I can't help it that I'm pregnant, Dannyl, I really think we ought to discuss it – I mean, we've all decided not to tell the Higher Magicians just yet, but - "

"I don't want to discuss anything with you. I told you I didn't love you – and yes, considering that it was wrong of me to just use you last night – and you just couldn't take it. You've ruined everything. You've driven Tayend away from me out of pure spite"

"No!" Aurelia cried, "No, I – I didn't mean to make him hurt you, I just...I don't know what came over me. I was angry and now I'm scared and upset all at the same time, and it just sort of came out – "

"Don't lie to me! You did it out of pure hatred. You did it because you're jealous of what I had with Tayend, because nobody's ever loved you like he loves me"

It was as though he had slapped her around the face. Aurelia staggered, tears tumbling down her cheeks.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, "How could you even say that to me? I'm carrying your baby!"

"It doesn't mean I have to love you, Aurelia! I hate you at this moment in time, there's no nice way to say it. And of course, when you eventually have the baby, I will look after it and be a part of its life. But I won't have anything to do with you. Now get out. I need to be alone to think about how I'm going to get Tayend back. Just get out and leave me alone"

The second Aurelia had backed slowly out of the door; he slammed it in her face. The other magicians were starting to wake – she could hear them moving around in their rooms, chatting, laughing, eating breakfast together. She should go back to Rothen and Sonea now, they would be worried about her – but she found that she could not move. She sagged against the wall, falling down to the floor like a puppet whose strings have been cut. Hugging her knees to her chest, she laid her head atop them and wept uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, a young, dark-haired visitor was striding down the corridor, eager to see his Father. Dorrien had been sent a letter from his father that sounded as though he was having a pretty stressful time with his newest novice, and he wanted to comfort him and help him out as best he could.

As he walked, Dorrien heard the sounds of someone crying. He looked around, confused, trying to place the sound.

And then he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Long golden hair, gleaming like the sun. She had just lifted her head from her arms and was wiping her eyes – big, appealing brown eyes that were a much prettier shade than the drab novice robes she wore. He couldn't really see much more of her, but her feet, sticking out from beneath her robes, were tiny and dainty. They looked as though they might fit into the palm of his hand.

"Excuse me?" he began tentatively, crouching in front of her, "Excuse me, are you alright?"

"Do I look it?" she snapped, then reddened, realising that he was a Magician, fully qualified, "Oh, I'm ever so sorry, my Lord. I've just, um...had rather a shock"

Dorrien looked gently at her, "Would you like to talk about it?"

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" she looked at him with quiet insolence, which he admittedly found quite attractive, with those warm eyes.

"I'm Dorrien" he said, "I'm Lord Rothen's son"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "I'm Lord Rothen's novice!" she blushed, "I'm sorry I was so rude. It's lovely to meet you"

"Don't worry about it" Dorrien looked at her closely. She didn't look as though she wanted to move, and she certainly didn't look as though she was particularly keen on him.

"Do you want to come with me?" he asked at last, "I'm just going to see him. It's a Freeday, isn't it?"

Aurelia nodded, "Yes. Um, I'll come with you now. I really need to speak with Rothen and Sonea anyway"

Dorrien didn't take his eyes off of her all the way to Rothen's rooms.


	13. Confessions

**A/N: Thank you for my lovely reviews! I'd love some more... :) Please review, thanks for reading!**

For a whole week, Dannyl avoided Aurelia.

During that week, Aurelia went to classes a shell of her former self. She felt so guilty for ruining Dannyl's relationship, for all that she had done, and she barely bring herself to pay attention in lessons. It didn't help that she kept suffering from terrible headaches. Elle guarded her fiercely, not letting any other novices even talk to her friend, and was unflinchingly supportive. Aurelia wondered what she had done to deserve the wonderful people that she had found here at the guild.

Dorrien, who had originally been planning to stay for only one night, had stayed the entire week. No-one had yet told him what was going on, and he was determined to stay until they did. Plus, he couldn't stop looking at Aurelia, hanging onto her every word (though she spoke but a little lately) and thinking about all the things he would do to her if she wasn't a novice and so obviously troubled.

Sonea handed Lorkin over to Aurelia's care in the evenings, finding that when she was with the baby, Aurelia seemed brighter, more at ease. She thought that that was a good omen for Aurelia's own child.

And Rothen spent the week trying to convince Dannyl to talk to Aurelia, pleading him, even bribing him on one occasion. But Dannyl insisted he wanted nothing to do with Aurelia, nothing at all.

It was an evening before the weekly Freeday when Dannyl finally consented to speak with her. He arrived at Rothen's rooms as soon as he was sure that she would have returned, scowling darkly when she opened the door. She was holding Lorkin, and behind her, he could see Dorrien's eyes fixed on her backside.

"Dannyl!" she exclaimed, "I, um...come in?"

"I suppose I have to talk to you" he said grumpily, "But I would like to talk to you alone"

"Of course" Aurelia mumbled, a little pink in the face. She turned, looking for someone to give Lorkin to, and Dorrien flew forward, holding out his arms.

"I'll take him" he said at once. He was awarded with one of Aurelia's stunning smiles as he took little Lorkin into his arms, "Do you want me to come along too?"

Aurelia opened her pretty mouth to reply, but Dannyl interrupted with a firm, "No. Come on, Aurelia"

As soon as they had left, and he had released a squirming Lorkin, Dorrien turned to his father and Sonea.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on with those two?" he asked, exasperated, "None of you tell me anything!"

"You're not a child, Dorrien" sighed Sonea, but she looked amused by his tone, "And the less that know, the better, really"

"Sonea, this is me we're talking about!" Dorrien cried, sitting down and looking expectantly at the two of them. Rothen and Sonea exchanged glances.

"Why are you so desperate to know?" asked Sonea, smirking. Rothen was smiling also. Dorrien looked between them both, reddening steadily.

"Fine. I think I'm in love with Aurelia. I fell in love with her the second I saw her. Alright?"

Rothen sighed heavily, "This could make things rather complicated"

"I wish you two would stop being so cryptic and tell me what's going on" Dorrien huffed, slightly disconcerted. Sonea took a deep breath.

"Aurelia is...complicated"

"How?" Dorrien frowned, "She seems so preoccupied, and this whole tension with Dannyl is just weird..."

"Her father abused her when she was a child" Rothen put in, his face sombre, "He raped her, repeatedly, for several years. Only when he died was she free to come here, to the Guild, and become the magician she was always meant to be"

Dorrien's face paled, "Oh God. Poor, poor girl. But what does that have to do with Dannyl?"

"We always thought that Dannyl was a lad, didn't we? And, well, he is. But he slept with Aurelia – she seduced him, she admitted it to me, because she fell for him completely, and wanted to believe that he loved her back" Sonea paused, "But of course, he didn't. He still slept with her though...And last week, we found out that she's carrying his child. Dannyl's lover found out and was outraged – he's left Dannyl now, and Dannyl is devastated. He's been taking it out on Aurelia, and this is the first time that he's spoken to her since it all came out"

Dorrien sat in complete silence for a few moments, looking completely stunned.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he said at last, his face ashen. Rothen looked bemused.

"You can't still love her, surely? Not knowing that she's carrying another man's child...a lad's child?"

"That changes nothing" said Dorrien, shrugging, "I looked into those warm eyes of hers the day that I met her, and I was lost"

"You thought that you loved me, once" said Sonea, half-laughing, "And it sure as hell put you off when you discovered I was carrying someone else's child"

"I gave up on you when I saw how much you loved Akkarin. And I knew I could never compare. But Aurelia...from that first second I was in too deep to swim free" Dorrien only had to picture her lovely face and his heart began to pound, "I can't change that now"

Sonea laughed at last, "Oh dear. Well, you've got a fight ahead of you. After everything that's happened with Dannyl and her father, trust isn't going to be easy for her. And she's not going to fall out of love with Dannyl the second you click your fingers. You'll actually have to win her over"

Rothen couldn't help laughing too, "Why do all the ones I care for end up in such tangled messes?"

Meanwhile, Dannyl and Aurelia were taking a walk. It was getting dark, and Dannyl was concentrating on holding his hovering globe light, rather than talking to Aurelia, who was feeling rather awkward.

"Dorrien keeps looking at you" said Dannyl eventually. Aurelia snorted with laughter.

"Don't be foolish. We're friends, Dorrien and me, but I don't think of him like that" she suddenly got angry, "Is that all you wanted to do, nag me about Dorrien? Bother me with stupid rumours? Because if it is, I might as well just go back inside"

"You're the one who said we needed to talk about this, Aurelia!" Dannyl retorted sharply. Her face crumpled and she looked close to tears.

"Why do all our conversations end in arguments?" she wailed, "This is ridiculous! I'm having a baby, for goodness sake, _your b_aby, and we can't be fighting all the time when it comes along! Yes, we may not have to stay together, if you don't want to, but we at least have to be FRIENDS!"

Dannyl looked down at her, startled by the outburst, "I didn't say that we couldn't be friends. But I'm so _angry_ with you!"

"I know!" Aurelia shrieked. Silence fell heavily over the garden they were walking in, tension fizzling between them.

"I've said sorry" she said, much softer now, tears sparkling down her face, "I can't do anything more than say sorry. If I could change what's happened between us, then I would. If I could, I'd turn back time, and kick some common sense into myself to stop me from even kissing you! But I can't do anything like that. And I'm really, truly sorry. I didn't realise how much you love Tayend, or how much he loves you. I thought it was just a fling. But I see now that it's more than that, and I'm desperately sorry to have ruined it for you"

Dannyl's face softened, "Look, Aurelia, I'm sorry too. I see now how sorry you really are, and I -I wish I hadn't used you like that"

"I think we just need to stay away from each other for while, even if it kills me to say it. I think..." she hesitated, the words stuck in her throat, "I think you should go and see Tayend. Explain to him everything that's happened, from the beginning. Blame it all on me, if you like. Just don't come back until you've sorted it out with him"

Dannyl stared at her, "You really want me to do that?"

Aurelia struggled against her emotions, which were screaming out for him to stay, "Yes. Yes, I do"


	14. Tangled Web

**A/N: Sorry, I went away on holiday! So I hope you really enjoy the chapter, just to make up for my absence. Thank you so, so much for the reviewers, although I love my faithful reviewers it's nice to be getting new ones too, so please continue! Thanks for reading!**

When Dannyl finally arrived at the house in Elyne, he was shaking.

He knew that it was cowardly of him, to be scared of facing Tayend again, especially after Tayend telling him not to return. But he'd been acting like a coward a lot recently. And the worst thing was, although he was furious with Aurelia, he had a feeling that they could end up being really good friends, if for the sake of their child more than anything. And, now that he came to think of it, he kind of liked the idea of having a child. He'd always resigned himself to the fact that he could never be a father, but now that just wasn't true.

He'd still rather have Tayend than a child, though, cruel as it sounds.

He took a very deep breath, and knocked on his own front door, something he'd never needed to do much before.

He was shocked by how unwell Tayend looked when he answered. He had always been slender and muscular, but the past fortnight had seen him grow gaunt and pale, and his face appeared as though he'd never cracked a smile in his life, which was as far from the truth as possible.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped harshly, "I told you, I don't want to talk to you. I don't even want to look at you"

"You haven't heard everything yet" said Dannyl, his voice beseeching, "Please, Tayend. Just let me explain to you exactly how I got into this mess"

Tayend paused a moment, his face twisted and almost ugly with anger and hate. Then he nodded, just once, a slight crack in the barrier he'd make for himself. Dannyl tried to hide his smile of relief, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Don't think you're forgiven" Tayend snapped, glowering at him, "Because you're not"

* * *

"It's only hard because I know he won't be coming back this time. At least, not to be with me"

"He'll keep coming back to see the baby" said Sonea gently, patting Aurelia's shoulder, "And I'm sure you two will form a bond over the kid"

"Not the right sort of bond" said Aurelia sulkily. Although Sonea and Rothen were ridiculously sympathetic towards poor Aurelia, feeling desperately sorry for her, they were beginning to find her rather difficult. She refused to accept even the slightest consolation, and looked at everything with misery and sourness. The smallest things sent her into tears, and she no longer even had the strength to thank them for their loving attentions. She would only smile when playing with Lorkin, both because she adored him and because it made her think of her own baby, which, despite everything, she already loved with all her heart and longed for it to arrive.

Rothen went over to Dorrien, who was supposedly reading a book, while Sonea continued in her efforts to comfort Aurelia.

"Dorrien" said Rothen, sitting beside his son with a small, fond smile, "You're holding that book upside down"

Dorrien went bright red. He had been hoping that no-one would notice he wasn't actually reading the book at all; he was merely using it as a prop, and was in fact peering over it to gaze at Aurelia. He was becoming increasingly lovesick by the day, offering much amusement to Sonea and Rothen on his behalf. Aurelia, typically, still hadn't noticed.

"I'm only looking" said Dorrien huffily, "There's nothing wrong with looking. I know she's not ready for me to try anything more than that"

"No, she certainly isn't" Rothen agreed sternly, "You leave the poor girl be. She needs to recover – and by the time she's done that, she'll have a child to look after. She has no time for you"

Dorrien looked sulkily at his father, and Rothen burst out laughing.

"Though I must admit, what with the moods you two are in at the moment, you'd make a pretty pair!" he chortled, "Oh Dorrien, you can't have everything your way"

* * *

"I see all the wine's gone" Dannyl observed dryly as he sat down in his and Tayend's study. The desk was completely clear now. He didn't like to think what Tayend had done with his papers.

"And?" Tayend retorted sharply, "I didn't drink it all down because of you, you know"

"Alright" said Dannyl, deciding it was best to humour Tayend, in this situation, "Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning" said Tayend sharply, "I want to hear every sordid detail"

"Tayend – "

"Just get on with it"

Tayend was being so uncharacteristically harsh and angry that it threw Dannyl. He struggled to pick up the threads of his tale.

"Um. Well...oh, yes. Well, it started when she kissed me. She came to my rooms and asked me to help her study for an Alchemy test, and I'm still not entirely sure how it happened, but we ended up kissing. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't like it – I did. But I didn't like it because she's a girl, I just liked it because..well, because it was a kiss, I suppose. And then...well, a few days later, she came back, and I wasn't sure about letting her in, but she insisted, said she just wanted to apologise for being so forward. But then she took off her robes and she was just...standing there, completely naked, in front of me. What did you expect me to do?"

"Say no, perhaps?" Tayend offered, not relenting in the slightest. Dannyl sighed.

"I wanted to, of course I did, but she can be very...persuasive. And I'd never slept with a woman before, I guess I couldn't help wondering what it felt like. That's why I came back to you afterwards. I felt so guilty, I've never regretted anything more in my life, and was so happy, back here with you. Then Sonea wrote to me, and told me that in her childhood Aurelia had been raped by her father, right up until the day he died. I felt awful for her, of course, but I didn't go back. Then Rothen, who didn't know the situation at all at the time, mind communicated with me and asked me to come back. So I went, reluctantly, because I loved being back here with you and I didn't want to see her again" he paused, "The night before you came to the guild, we had slept together again, and that time it was completely my fault. I seduced her, not that she resisted at all, and it was my entire fault. The day you showed up was the day I discovered she was pregnant"

"That still didn't explain why you didn't tell me. If you'd told me when you came back to visit, I'd have forgiven you. I'd have gone to the guild and given the slut a good slap, but then I would have taken you back. But I just...I feel like I'll never be able to trust you again. I'll forever be wondering if you're attracted to a woman walking past us on the street, if you're looking at her behind my back, or worse, sleeping with her" Tayend hesitated, and his eyes were shining with tears, "She's a girl, and she's so much younger than you"

"I know!" Dannyl was almost in tears by this point too, "I know that I've done terribly wrong, but you would not believe how sorry I am. I love you, Tayend, you know that. Please give me another chance. Please. I don't know what I'll do otherwise"

Tayend looked coldly at him, then nodded once again, "You can stay a few days, see what happens between us. But don't expect me to just fall into your arms"

"It'll be the only time I've stayed and you _haven't_ fallen into my arms" Dannyl tried to joke. Tayend did not smile, and left the room without another word.

* * *

Dorrien took over from Rothen and Sonea in comforting Aurelia, hoping that his gently ministrations would make her fall in love with him. She blossomed under his attention, smiling more often, as he could always make her laugh, and behaving much more cheerfully with everyone.

Dorrien was falling even deeper in love with her. He never took his eyes from her beautiful face – and if he did, it was only to admire the rest of her body. One day, to cheer her up, he taught her a dance that the people in the village where he lived had taught him on a festival day. It was an extremely old dance that once upon a time all Guild magicians would have been practised in, and Aurelia was eager to learn it. He was fine when it came to twirling her around, making her look so elegant and unearthly that she took his breath away, but when he had to press her close to him, he could feel himself blushing and becoming more than a little uncomfortable, desperate to kiss her...and more.

Surely Aurelia had noticed this? But she appeared to know nothing of it at all, and was constantly telling Dorrien how dear a friend he was. And she did think of him as a friend – she had barely any heart left to feel anything more. So Dorrien moped for Aurelia, while Aurelia moped for Dannyl, and Dannyl moped for Tayend.

It was a most tangled web of hearts.


	15. Hearing

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I do have a very valid excuse, if you would wish to hear it, but you probably won't – it's not that interesting. Um, anyway, sorry! Thank you so much for all the reviews, I LOVE you all for writing them, please write more! Though I miss you, Azlira, we need to discuss Les Mis! Please review, thank you for reading, hope you enjoy it.**

"Aurelia! Aurelia!" Dorrien was hammering on Aurelia's bedroom door, waking her from a fitful sleep. Was she late for lessons? No, no, she had an hour left yet. So what did Dorrien want?

She washed quickly and pulled on her robes, tidied her hair, ignored the slight bulge of her belly that marred a figure that had always been impeccable. She wanted the baby, she wanted Dannyl – she didn't want to lose her figure, vain as it sounds.

"What is it, Dorrien?" she slipped out of the room and smiled pleasantly at Dorrien, hiding the mild annoyance that she felt at being woken up from a ridiculously difficult night's sleep. His face lit up when he saw her.

"It's bad news" said Rothen, stepping in as he noticed that his son was now incapable of speech. Aurelia's face fell. She noted that Sonea, too, looked worried, and was cuddling Lorkin tightly, though he squirmed.

"Has something happened to Dannyl?" Aurelia asked, her voice shaking, "Has he been hurt?"

Dorrien scowled and muttered, softly but sourly, "Dannyl, always Dannyl!"

"No, no, it's not Dannyl" Rothen hesitated, "The Higher Magicians have found out about your pregnancy"

Aurelia froze. For a few moments she could not speak, think, move...she swayed, and Dorrien gripped her arm tightly. She composed herself and extracted her arm from his grasp.

"Ok. What happens now? Are they...are they going to get rid of me? Because I can't go home. You know that. I can't" tears welled up in her eyes, "My mother...she hates me. She won't...she... I can't, Rothen"

She was looking at her mentor, her father figure, with such pitiable eyes that Rothen felt on the verge of tears himself.

"We know that, of course we do. And I'm sure they won't send you away. They've written to Dannyl, organised a hearing. It's this week"

"You mean...like a trial?" Aurelia hovered, eyes big and brown and uncertain. Dorrien put his arm around her, and although she thought that she should, she didn't shrug it away. She hoped it wouldn't encourage him.

"Yes, exactly like a trial. Like Akkarin and I had for practising Black magic – except you won't be exiled, of course" Sonea added hastily. Aurelia looked at them all – her mentors and friends, her little cousin...the man who now claimed to be in love with her. She trusted them above anyone, and if they said it would be fine, it would be fine.

"Ok" she repeated, then squared her shoulders and looked bravely between them, "Let's make a plan. And we need to hope Dannyl gets back soon – he needs to be in on it"

"You have lessons, Aurelia" Sonea cautioned. Aurelia laughed bitterly and shrugged her bony shoulders.

"You think they'll care if I turn up or not? They won't be expecting it, not after this"

* * *

"Did you tell them, Tayend? Did you tell them about me and Aurelia and the...baby?" Dannyl was looking accusingly at his...well, he didn't know what to call him anymore. Their relationship was stuck in limbo, Tayend determined not to forgive him, Dannyl desperate to be forgiven. Sometimes Dannyl would say or do something that would make Tayend laugh or smile, and he would quickly wipe it away and once again be scowling at Dannyl, desperate not to relent. And this was the last straw in a fortnight that had already been strained and difficult and tasting of desperation.

"No, I did not" Tayend replied indignantly, but he did not look Dannyl in the eye. Dannyl sighed. He was angry, and scared, and worried about the outcome of the hearing, but all the same he couldn't blame Tayend for blabbing. All the same, Tayend had been wronged in the worst possible way, and he was entitled to some revenge. Aurelia and the others wouldn't see it that way, of course, but he understood.

The letter trembled in his hands. He looked at Tayend.

"I'm going to have to leave. Today. To prepare" he hesitated, "Will you miss me?"

There was a very long pause. Tayend sipped his wine, "I might. Maybe when you get back, things can go back to normal. Maybe"

This hope was more than Dannyl had expected, and part of him wanted to leap up and down with joy. Instead he leaned down and, very tenderly, kissed Tayend's cheek. Both of them hovered in this position for a moment, unsure...and then Dannyl, sensing that now was not the time, went away to pack.

* * *

The day of the hearing came around quicker than any of them had anticipated. Aurelia had missed lessons for a week to prepare herself, and Elle was falling behind too, having spent a lot of time after lessons to help out rather than studying. Rothen's marking for his Alchemy lessons lay untouched on his desk, piles of scribbled Alchemy essays whose ramblings he was just not in the mood for. Lorkin had sensed the tense and hectic atmosphere and it had upset him – he wailed almost constantly, leaving Sonea run ragged and exhausted. Dorrien was working tirelessly, thinking that maybe if he helped her enough, Aurelia would wake up on the morning of the hearing and think, 'Hm, maybe I do love him after all'.

Of course, this hope was dashed when he noticed how her face shone with delight on Dannyl's arrival. Although they had agreed to be friends, and were now getting on fairly well (though the hearing was putting considerable strain on this new relationship) it was clear that Aurelia wanted more, and always would want more. And she would not want Dorrien.

But now the hearing was here. They had all offered to speak – himself, Sonea and Rothen, and of course Dannyl and Aurelia had to speak. Elle had offered, but when Aurelia had asked her what she might say, she had looked so blank that they'd judged it best to leave it be.

Aurelia was pale and weak, suffering frequent dizzy spells that Dorrien frequently rescued her from. She was called up first, and the Higher Magicians sat to judge her and Dannyl. Although the affair had become guild scandal, only Balkan, Vinara, Sarrin and Osen were to preside, and she was thankful.

"Novice Aurelia, please step forward"

Rothen, Sonea and Dorrien looked encouragingly at her. Dannyl smiled feebly, wringing his hands in anticipation.

Aurelia took a seat on a chair that had been set up for her. Osen was questioning her. Sonea had told her that he was a good man, a kind man, but she could see none of that in the solemn set of his face. She shivered and put her hand on her stomach.

"You are here today because you have behaved in the most inappropriate way. You have indulged in a liaison with a Guild Ambassador that has resulted in your pregnancy. Is this correct?"

"Yes" her voice sounded thin and reedy in the ridiculously large room. She felt like a child. She remembered how weak she had been when her father had been cruel and stern like this as a child, and tried to fight against the weakling she had once been. It wasn't working.

"You understand that what you have done was wrong?"

"Oh, yes, of course" Aurelia said quickly.

"Would you please explain to us what happened between yourself and Ambassador Dannyl, Novice Aurelia? In full detail, from the beginning"

So Aurelia told her story, as they had rehearsed. She told the full truth. She took blame where the blame was hers; she confessed to all that she had done of her own devices, and she blamed Dannyl only for that last time they had slept together. She answered that yes, she did indeed want to keep her baby, despite what consequences this could have on her career as a novice. Lady Vinara's eyebrows rose at this.

Then it was Dannyl's turn. He, too, answered completely truthfully, and once even smiled slightly when describing Aurelia's fierce determination to be loved by him. Despite the situation that they were in, he had never stopped admiring her drive.

"And do you accept the blame for the most recent...incident, between the two of you, the night that you discovered Aurelia was carrying your child?" Osen asked sceptically.

"Yes" said Dannyl firmly, "Yes, I do"

They had kept from speaking of Tayend, conveniently forgetting the mention that he had arrived and been broken hearted. It wouldn't help his case if the Higher Magicians received concrete proof that Dannyl was a lad.

Rothen spoke next. He talked about how he had practically raised Dannyl, and had grown to feel a fatherly affection for Aurelia. He said that Dannyl was a good Ambassador, Aurelia a good student, and above all, both of them were good people. They had fallen into mistakes as many others of the guild had, but both of them regretted these mistakes deeply.

Sonea spoke less kindly. She was fiercely defensive, as if daring the Higher Magicians to contradict her. She cared for Aurelia very much, and Dannyl was a good friend, and she would not see them exiled as she had been. They had already ruined one member of family Devlon's life...they had taken away Lorkin's father. It was their fault, partly, that he was dead. Could they do that again, could they truly bring themselves to ruin Akkarin's niece, who was a good, kind girl who had been through so much? This, as the group had planned, prompted the judges to ask what Sonea meant. And so Sonea told them about Aurelia's horrific, troubled, torturous childhood and at one point Vinara's eyes were wet.

And then came Dorrien. He spoke about what he knew of the matter, and most of all, he spoke about Aurelia. He didn't care what happened to Dannyl, part of him hated Dannyl now, but he cared deeply what happened to Aurelia. This mess wasn't going to ruin Aurelia's life. Not if he had a part in it.

* * *

They were allowed to take a break while the Higher Magicians passed their verdict. As soon as they were out of the room, they began to discuss how they thought it had gone. Aurelia sidled away from Rothen, Sonea and Dannyl, who were discussing Sonea's speech, and over to Dorrien, who was standing alone, looking thoughtful.

"Thanks, Dorrien" she said, smiling, "You haven't known me long, and yet you defended me so strongly! You're such a good friend!" she squeezed him in a fond, childish and above all, _friendly _hug.

"It's ok" said Dorrien heavily, knowing that she didn't yet realise why he'd done it, "I'd do anything for you"

She beamed, and returned the group. He followed, scowling.

"Novice Aurelia, Black Magician Sonea, Ambassador Dannyl, Lord Rothen, Lord Dorrien. Please come inside. We have decided on what must be done"

Aurelia took a deep breath, and grabbed Dorrien's hand.


	16. Verdict

**A/N: Thank you so much for my reviews! They made me very happy, which is why I'm updating quite quickly rather than letting you linger on that cliffhanger. Please review! Thanks for reading. Not many chapters left now, I feel quite depressed.**

Dorrien looked down at Aurelia's hand, entwined with his, and smiled hugely. She was still holding on, her sharp fingernails digging into his skin, despite the fact that they had been called back into the room. She was so close that he could feel her shaking with fear, and this sobered him. It was stupid of him to feel giddy and delighted just because she was holding his hand. It didn't mean that she loved him back – she was just scared, and she needed someone to hold on to...and he'd been next to her. It was as simple as that.

Administrator Osen smiled kindly at Aurelia, seeing how nervous she was. She was only a young girl, which had made him hate judging this particular case – it was like judging Sonea all over again. And he still regretted what had happened then. Sonea looked thin, nowadays, maybe too thin, and always pale and tired. Still, she did have a young child, she probably didn't have much time for herself, despite Rothen's care and her Aunt's frequent visits. He'd liked Sonea, once. He'd maybe even felt something for her. In a way, he still did. But there was no point in hoping; he could never measure up to Akkarin. He'd noticed the way that young Dorrien looked at Aurelia, and felt extreme empathy for him.

"We have made a decision" Osen said clearly, "Novice Aurelia, please take a seat" he motioned her towards the chair, and she reluctantly moved away from Dorrien's comforting presence. What had she done to deserve a friend like him?

As her hand slipped out of his, Dorrien felt as though a part of him had gone missing; his heart felt as heavy as a rock in his chest. Rothen squeezed his son's shoulder but had his eyes fixed on poor, anxious Aurelia, who was sitting up very straight in her chair.

"Are you ready to hear what we have to say? We have taken into consideration your youth, impressionability, your past and your exceptional personal qualities" Osen felt he had to add this, just to stop the poor thing from shaking! She nodded.

"I would very much like to hear what you have to say" she mumbled, her brown eyes woeful.

"We have decided that you shall be allowed to stay at the guild and bring up your child with the support of your mentor and friends. However, we insist that you discontinue your studies until your child is of an age to be left in the care of others during lesson time. Is that agreeable to you?"

Aurelia burst into tears. Osen was startled – he thought that they had been quite lenient, considering the scandal that had developed. Dorrien moved forward to comfort her, alarmed, but Rothen pulled him back, allowing Sonea to go to Aurelia's side instead. Dannyl looked confused. He was quite pleased with Aurelia's terms. He only hoped that his were as good.

"Why are you crying, Aurelia?" asked Sonea urgently, putting her arms around the young woman's skinny shoulders. Aurelia sniffled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry! I'm just so grateful, so pleased...I was so desperate not to go home, and you allowing me to stay, it's just...too much" she wiped her eyes quickly, "I'm sorry. I'm pleased, really I am! Thank you"

She suddenly flew towards Osen and kissed him on the cheek. Osen gave a little shocked laugh, and looked over at the Higher Magicians behind him. Balkan and Sarrin had not cracked their faces, but Vinara was smiling behind her hand. Osen looked at Sonea, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you" she mimed, still smiling, and Osen felt that he had never done a better day's work. He straightened slightly and looked over to Dannyl.

"Ambassador Dannyl, please take a seat"

Aurelia had been beaming, bright and glittering, up at Dorrien, while he forced a smile for her, knowing that he would never stop loving her, never be able to get away...but when Dannyl walked towards the chair she had just vacated, she stopped smiling. She had gone pale again, and her brow was furrowed with concentration. Dorrien resisted the urge to grab her hand. He'd been resisting a lot of urges regarding Aurelia lately.

"Ambassador, we have been a little sterner with you. It is our belief that you could have ended the situation at any point, had you chosen to, yet you did not. Would you like to hear what we have to say?"

Aurelia had opened her mouth to protest, but Sonea silenced her with a gentle but firm look. Dannyl readied himself.

"Yes, I would"

Osen looked squarely at Dannyl, who looked pretty nervous himself.

"We have decided that you will give up your rooms at the guild and retain a permanent position in Elyne. You will not be welcome here at the guild, and will no longer act as Ambassador, though you will be expected to continue to send us monthly reports. You will not be welcome at the Night room, or at any other functions. You will be permitted to see your child however frequently you and Aurelia decide is necessary, but we would prefer it if you did not visit other guild magicians during these visits. The care of your child is to be a matter for yourself and Novice Aurelia to discuss and agree upon, and will have nothing to do with us" Osen paused, "We thought that we might offer your rooms to Lord Dorrien, as he had spent such a long time visiting recently. We thought that it might be time for him to come home"

Dorrien's face lit up; to be near Aurelia, all the time! Without Dannyl! But...but with Dannyl's child. So many conflicting emotions, he felt as though he might be going mad!

Dannyl tried to hide his smile. Little did they know, this was the best thing that the Higher Magicians could have done for him! He would be able to be with Tayend, at last, if Tayend would take him, without fear of the guild discovering their relationship. He would never again have to attend the ridiculous Meets that he had always loathed, never again suffer gossip in the Night room...never again be tempted by Aurelia. All this, and he would still be able to see his child. It was all he could have hoped for and more. And he was pretty sure that Dorrien was happy with the verdict too. He hoped that Aurelia would come round to Dorrien, in time.

Aurelia was looking down at the floor, hiding behind her honey coloured hair. She could not let them see her tears.

"We do have one more suggestion" said Osen suddenly, "There is the option...a remote option...of Aurelia giving up her education altogether, and instead going to live with Dannyl in Elyne, and raise their child"

Aurelia's head snapped up. Dannyl froze. Dorrien was looking at Aurelia in horror and dread, for he knew that she loved Dannyl still. Sonea and Rothen were too stunned to speak. Neither of them had a clue what the outcome would be.

For one terrifying, horrible moment, Dannyl thought that Aurelia would be selfish, and say yes.

For that one moment, Aurelia thought that she might say yes too.

But then she looked at Dannyl – really, really looked at him. He saw her eyes fixed on him and panicked, she could sense it, but in reality she was carefully rationalising her thoughts.

He didn't love her. He loved Tayend. He wanted to be with Tayend. They wouldn't be happy together, their child would be unhappy. He would resent her. He would...hate her.

She loved him. But love meant making him happy.

She would move on. In time. Maybe. Probably not. But she still had to let him go.

"No" she said, looking only at Dannyl, "No. He doesn't love me"

It was this final acknowledgement of what Dannyl had been trying to tell her all along that made her feel just a little lighter, a little brighter. She'd said it out loud. He didn't love her. He was free. They were both free.

Dannyl hugged her.

"Thank you" he whispered in her ear, "Thank you so much"

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter is quite short...I will update soon! Only three chapters and the epilogue left. I'm going to miss this. Don't forget to review!**


	17. Goodbye and Hello

**A/N: Hey, me again! I bet you wish I'd stop updating so fast and flooding your inboxes. Anyway, thank you LOADS for the reviews, especially my most faithful Laura Scofield and Azlira, and of course X-Iceysummer – X . I really appreciate it! Thank you for reading and please review – there's not many chapters left for you to do it on!**

Aurelia smiled at Dannyl as she sauntered towards him. It was a feeble smile, but a smile nonetheless. He was her friend, after all, even if he wasn't her lover.

He'd asked her to meet him by the brook in the grounds of the guild, so that they could say goodbye properly before he left that afternoon. He had already said goodbye to the others, but he and Aurelia had been through a lot. Even if there had been some moments when he had hated her (and trust me, there had been plenty), he owed her a proper goodbye. They were friends now, after all, soon to be parents...and she had let him free to be with Tayend, even if she hadn't wanted too.

She sat down beside him, still smiling, but her eyes were dull.

"It's going to be so strange" she said quietely, "Not having you around, I mean"

"You'll get used to it" Dannyl shrugged, "I'm not exactly a catch, Aurelia"

She laughed, "Oh, believe me, you are. Tayend is very lucky"

This put them into a rather awkward silence.

"Can I ask you something?" Aurelia asked eventually.

"Sure" said Dannyl uncomfortably, worried of what she might say.

"Did you find it?"

"Find what?"

"True love. When I first spoke to you, you said you'd stay for true love. What I want to know, is did you find it?"

"Yes. Yes, I did, Aurelia. I had it all the time"

She smiled sadly, "With Tayend?"

"With Tayend" he confirmed, "It just took me too long to realise what I had. It's a shame that it took something as extreme as this to make me realise that I love Tayend"

"Alright" Aurelia said heavily, "I understand. I mean, I knew that it couldn't really be me. I've been terrible to you"

"You just...used your initiative. It's quite admirable, really, the lengths you're willing to go to to get something you want" Dannyl was laughing archly by this time, "You certainly have drive. No-one can deny that"

Aurelia was almost laughing again, "Thank you. But it doesn't change the fact that I was absolutely awful to you"

"I won't deny it. But I wasn't exactly good to you, was I?"

"You behaved better than I did"

"Maybe. But you do have a lot of good qualities, Aurelia. You're kind at heart, and loving, and affectionate and warm. You've got beauty, and when you smile the whole room lights up. You can make people smile with just a glance in their direction. That's a good thing, Aurelia. They're all good things" Dannyl briefly squeezed her hand. Aurelia's eyes welled up.

"Thanks" she hesitated, "Dannyl...do you think I'll be a good mother?" her voice cracked slightly, and he was flooded with guilt as this reminded him how young she really was, how vulnerable. He reached out to give her a hug, and, triumphantly, felt not even the faintest stirrings of desire. The spell was broken. But so was she.

"You will be astoundingly excellent. I promise. Think how much little Lorkin adores you – you're good with children, you know that. And like I said, you have lovely qualities to pass on to our kid"

Aurelia pulled out of the embrace, finding in too painful, and, sniffling, hastily wiped her eyes, "Do you really think so?"

"I know so" said Dannyl firmly, "Now don't cry. This is the last time I see you until the baby is born, I want you to smile!"

Aurelia giggled and smiled weakly, "Better?"

"Much. But what about you, Aurelia?" Dannyl asked in a teasing, light tone.

"What _about_ me?" Aurelia looked bemused. Dannyl smirked.

"Dorrien. He's in love with you"

Aurelia spluttered with surprised laughter, "No he isn't! Don't be silly. I mean, he _wants _me, yes, you think I haven't noticed?"

"He does, but he loves you too" Dannyl was laughing by this point, alarmed by her disbelief.

"Sometimes he looks at me like he's stripping my clothes off with his eyes. That's not love, Dannyl, that's lust. They mustn't be confused. Surely you've learnt that by now?" Aurelia smirked too, and Dannyl elbowed her in the ribs.

"Don't bring that up again, I'm trying to lighten the mood! And help you. Take my word for it, he loves you. I know what love looks like, I've seen it in your eyes many times- " he broke off, slightly uncomfortable, "And...and I've seen it a lot" he finished lamely.

"Dannyl, he doesn't love me, alright?"

"He does. He may spend most of his day picturing you naked, but I know for a fact that he thinks about you all the time – _with_ clothes on, too! You have to believe me here"

"Alright, then let's say, theoretically, that he does love me. Nothing could ever happen anyway! I don't feel that way about him"

"Don't you?"

"No! No, I don't. I'm very fond of him, of course I am, he's been so good to me, but I don't love him"

"Fine. But I think that you do, deep down"

"Dannyl, trust me, I don't" she was getting quite frustrated by this point, and it was greatly amusing Dannyl.

"Even if you don't, you will. At some point soon, you're going to look at Dorrien and realise you loved him all along"

There was a silence while Aurelia scowled at Dannyl. Then she elbowed him back.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" she huffed. Dannyl shrugged.

"It's been said before" he sighed and rose from the bench, "I'm going to have to go, Aurelia. I want to get back before dusk"

Aurelia swallowed, "Oh, right. Okay" she stood up too, and suddenly flung her arms around him in a fierce embrace, "I know we're not...you know, romantically attached anymore. But you're still my friend. And you can come and see the baby all the time. Bring Tayend along. He's going to be the baby's stepfather, I suppose, so we'll have to get along"

Dannyl sighed, "Yeah, that's if he forgives me"

"I'm sure he will" Aurelia kissed Dannyl's cheek, "But good luck. Communicate mind to mind whenever you can. Let us know what's going on"

"Of course" Dannyl squeezed her hand again, "Bye, Aurelia"

"Bye, Dannyl"

* * *

"Are you alright?"

Aurelia was sitting reading when Dorrien came up to her. She knew that she must look a state – she had suffered a sleepless night and her eyes were red from crying. She couldn't help thinking about what Dannyl had said. She looked thoughtfully up at Dorrien, but made sure to throw him one of her glittering smiles.

"I'm fine" she said, putting the book down, "I mean, I will be"

"You could do better, you know. You will do better" Dorrien said this slowly, shuffling from foot to foot as if embarrassed.

Aurelia stared at him, startled. It did sound rather suggestive. But no, she was thinking too much about Dannyl's comment. Dorrien didn't love her, and even if he did, it didn't matter, because she still loved Dannyl. Right?

"I don't know about that" Aurelia replied, not looking at him. Dorrien groaned.

"Sorry. Did I scare you with that remark?"

Aurelia couldn't help laughing, a little shakily, "A little bit" she paused, "Not today, yes, Dorrien? Not yet"

Dorrien's eyes brightened, "But maybe one day, right?"

"I don't know, Dorrien" Aurelia was starting to get exasperated; "Can we not discuss this today?"

Dorrien looked away, "Yeah. Of course. Sorry"

She picked up her book and began to read again.

As he walked away, Dorrien was smiling.

* * *

"Tayend?" Dannyl entered the Elyne house, expecting to be met with silence. Instead, Tayend came flying into the hallway, looking just slightly in disarray. His eyes were frantic.

"What did they say?" he asked eagerly, then stopped, making his face sombre, "Not that I care"

Dannyl half-laughed, "No, of course you don't. They've banned me from entering the guild. No meets, no night room, no visits..unless I'm visiting the baby. They want me to make permanent base here in Elyne, not as an Ambassador, but still sending reports"

Tayend couldn't stop a smile splitting his face, but he hastily turned away to hide it. But Dannyl had seen it, and that was enough to let him know that Tayend still loved him, still wanted him...had forgiven him. He moved swiftly towards Tayend and grabbed his hand. Tayend looked up, wide eyed.

"I love you, Tayend. I always loved you. And now everything has worked out...we can be together. Properly. I'll never have to go back to the guild and avoid mentioning you, never have to leave you behind while I go off to those ridiculous parties I always get invited to here. We can just...be us"

Tayend closed his eyes for a moment, as if deep in thought. When he opened them, he was smiling.

"Fine then, ex-ambassador. I forgive you. It's going to be hard though...when the baby comes along"

"I know. But Aurelia's agreed to you seeing it with me, as much as we like, and it might be quite...good for us. I think"

"I'm not exactly the best role model in the world"

"Maybe not. But I love you anyway"

Tayend cocked his head to one side, as if thinking again, "Dannyl?"

"Yes?" Dannyl couldn't stop smiling.

"Let's go to bed"


	18. Dinner

**A/N: I can't resist! I've been looking forward to this chapter for a very long time. Only 2 more including this one and the epilogue. Its so sad. Thank you SO much for my reviews, I really love you for them Plus they're really lovely if you've had a crappy day. So thanks loads. Please read and review!**

"I'm getting fat" Aurelia gasped in horror, "Oh hell. Sonea, look!"

Sonea moved over to the mirror and scrutinized Aurelia's belly, "Aurelia, it's practically flat. It's hardly noticeable"

"I've noticed it!" Aurelia retorted shrilly, "Oh, Sonea, am I going to be huge?"

Sonea was smiling with amusement, fighting laughter, "Eventually, yes. It's quite gradual. Though Lorkin was a big baby, my belly was more obvious. You still look stunning, you have a gorgeous figure. I'm jealous; I don't even have a figure"

Aurelia laughed, "You do too! Oh...I don't want to get fat" she sighed, moving away from the mirror, "Where's Rothen?"

"He's just helping Dorrien with the finishing touches. He's completely rearranged Dannyl's rooms, you wouldn't believe they'd ever been as messy as they were! You should go and look"

Aurelia shook her head firmly, "No thank you. It would feel...strange. Being in Dannyl's room, where we made so many mistakes, and without Dannyl? It's just odd"

Sonea looked thoughtfully at her. Lorkin, who had been playing quite contentedly, started playing with the bracelet round Aurelia's ankle, making the young woman giggle. She stopped, noticing Sonea's watchful eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked nervously, "Have I done something?"

"No" Sonea hesitated, "Are you missing Dannyl, Aurelia? It's been nearly a fortnight now"

Aurelia sat in musing silence for a very long time, "I...I don't know. I mean, I miss him, of course I do. But he's been communicating with me every day, to ask how I am, and talking to all of you...and...I don't know. I suppose I'm not as upset as I thought I would be"

"But why not?" asked Sonea, leaning forward, her face alight with curiosity. Aurelia couldn't help smiling at her eagerness.

"Because...because I know that he's happy. Because I know that he's where he wants to be, because he loves Tayend and Tayend loves him. Because...I do want him to be happy" she was smiling almost dreamily now. Sonea frowned, confused.

"But do you still love him, don't you?"

"Oh yes, of course!" Aurelia cried, but her reply was a little too quick. In her head, she meant it. But, wondered Sonea, did she mean it in her heart?

"Aurelia-" Sonea began, but quickly stopped herself. If Aurelia was beginning to fall out of love with Dannyl, then she needed to figure it out for herself, no prompting, no hints. So instead, she said;

"You know that we're going to do everything we can for you. Me, Rothen...and especially Dorrien" a mischievous glitter appeared in her eyes, and Aurelia gave a low, exasperated exclamation.

"Not you as well! Dannyl is convinced that Dorrien's in love with me, and now you're sitting there smirking away! He just wants to...well, you know what he wants to do. He doesn't really love me"

Sonea looked away, but she was grinning, "If that's what you want to think"

"It's the truth" huffed Aurelia.

"Why don't you just give him a chance?" Sonea said gently, "If he asks you anything, just say yes"

Aurelia looked suspiciously at her, "What are you all planning?"

"Us?" queried Sonea innocently, "Rothen and I aren't planning anything. Dorrien...well, I can't speak for him"

Just as Aurelia opened her mouth to demand to be told, Dorrien and Rothen appeared, both looking tired, sweaty and slightly bedraggled.

"Dorrien wanted to move furniture without magic. We agreed, after several long hours, that it was not a good idea" Rothen explained, flopping into a chair. Aurelia and Sonea both laughed.

"You are a strange one, Dorrien" said Sonea, rolling her eyes. Aurelia said nothing, looking warily at Dorrien. Rothen and Sonea slipped into easy chatter that seemed somehow set up, and Dorrien came and sat next to Aurelia.

"Are you hungry?" Dorrien asked abruptly. Aurelia jumped, startled.

"Um...yes, actually, I suppose so. Why?"

"Tania has made a lovely dinner. In my new rooms. For two" Dorrien's eyes bored keenly into hers, "Would you like to share it with me?"

Aurelia gaped at him for a minute. She was more than a little shocked by the audacity of the suggestion. Her eyes darted towards Sonea, who was nodding encouragingly. She looked back to Dorrien.

"Um...alright. Do you mean...now?"

Dorrien beamed, "Yes, now. If you'd like" he rose and turned to Sonea and Rothen, "Aurelia's going to join me for dinner. See you later" he ruffled Lorkin's curly hair. Aurelia followed him, still slightly bemused, and not really sure why she was following after all.

* * *

Aurelia picked through her food. It was delicious, but she couldn't concentrate on the food. Dorrien had asked her here, it felt more than a little romantic, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was finding this rather annoying – it's difficult to eat food attractively. Then, she didn't need to eat it attractively, seeing as she wasn't interested!

Oh, it was all so confusing.

She pushed the plate away, and Dorrien finished a few moments later. She struggled for something to say.

"You've made the rooms look ever so nice" she said at last, "It's so...strange, to be able to see the floor!"

Dorrien laughed, "It was in a bit of a state" he paused, "But Aurelia...I didn't ask you here to talk about the rooms. I need to talk to you. Honestly"

"Dorrien, I really – "

"I love you"

There was a heavy silence. Aurelia's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

And before either of them honestly could understand what was happening, they were kissing.

Aurelia had launched herself across the table and into Dorrien's lap, where they were kissing each other with such fierce desire that Dorrien was completely ecstatic. He what he wanted! Aurelia was kissing him, and his hands were tangled in that beautiful honey-coloured hair, and surely this meant that she loved him back...

She jumped away as suddenly as she had come, her eyes wide with horror, her fingers pressed to her lips as if she couldn't quite believe what she had just done, as if she couldn't quite understand why her lips were tingling and she felt slightly dizzy.

Dorrien stared at her, still seated, still in a happy daze, "What are you doing?"

"I – I'm not ready for this, Dorrien" she stammered. Then, a yell of frustration, "God! I'm really not ready for this! I'm sick and tired of having my life ruled by men. Men and desire and love for all the wrong people, it's just too much! I can't do it anymore. I'm having another man's baby, I'm not over him yet, I can't just...I can't do this"

Dorrien got up from his seat, his smile gone, "But you just kissed me. I told you I love you. I meant it"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you do" Aurelia pressed her fingers to her temples, "But I can't do this right now"

"So you don't love me?" his voice was heartbreaking.

"I didn't say I don't _love_ you, I just said – "

"So you _do_ love me?" Dorrien now looked confused, and rather angry.

"I don't _know_!" Aurelia cried, "Okay, Dorrien, I just don't know. I can't love you, I've only just started to get over Dannyl. I'm not doing this now. Thanks for the lovely dinner"

"And what about the kiss? You can't say you didn't want it to happen, because you did. Surely that must mean something?"

"I think I should just stop kissing people" Aurelia muttered to herself, "It gets me into a lot of trouble" she raised her voice again, "Please, Dorrien, I can't. You have to understand this, I've been through too much, I can't get involved in anything else. Just leave me alone, Dorrien" she swung round to leave, but Dorrien grabbed her arm.

"Didn't you figure it out, Aurelia? I can't leave you alone! You think I haven't tried?"

Part of her wanted to turn around and kiss him again, tell him that she loved him too, tell him that it would all be okay.

But she couldn't do it. She couldn't say it when she wasn't sure.

"Then you'll have to try harder" she whispered, and walked sharply away.


	19. Decisions

**A/N: Me again! This is the last chapter before the epilogue...and then it'll be over! I feel so depressed. Thank you LOADS for the reviews, you made my day. Thank you so much for reading, please review!**

"So what _happened?_" Sonea pressed, "Come on, Aurelia, tell me!"

"Nothing happened" mumbled Aurelia in reply, her eyes glassy, deep in thought.

"Right, so that's why Dorrien's been walking around with the most depressing aura around him for the last three days? Come on. He's so upset, I've never seen him like that. Neither has Rothen. What did you do to him? What did you _say_?"

"I didn't do or say anything!" Aurelia exclaimed, but she didn't look at Sonea. Sonea sighed heavily. Even Rothen looked a little irked.

"Dorrien's told me everything, Aurelia, so you might as well tell Sonea" he said ruefully. Sonea scowled, Aurelia sighed.

"Fine" she huffed, "We kissed, alright?"

Sonea gaped, "No! Really? Well, what went wrong?"

"I couldn't handle it" Aurelia groaned, running her hands through her long hair, "I mean, it was..." her eyes darted towards Rothen before she spoke, "It was...pretty amazing, if I'm honest. I mean, really amazing. But I've only just been parted from Dannyl, it's exhausting and horrible and I still love him, and I'm pregnant for goodness sakes, and Dorrien just doesn't seem to understand that everything big and scary that's happened in my life is because of a man. My whole life has been ruled by men, and I'm only just twenty! It just doesn't seem right, somehow"

"But you liked being with Dorrien?" Sonea prompted. Aurelia nodded fiercely.

"Oh, yes! We've always got on well, he's fun, easy to talk to...and, well...he is attractive, I'm not going to lie to you. And yeah, I enjoyed kissing him. But if you're going to suggest that I love him, then – "

"And do you?" Rothen smiled slightly, making marks on the essay he was going through as if he wasn't really listening. In fact, he was giving the matter his keenest attention.

"No!" Aurelia cried, "I mean...this is rather embarrassing, but I thought he just, you know, _wanted _me. And I could handle that, that's fine...maybe I even want him a little bit too - I'm not saying I do, I'm just saying maybe! But love...I love Dannyl, you know that. You can't just fall out of love with one person and in love with another"

"You can if you were in love with the wrong person and then you find the right one" said Sonea gently. Aurelia looked between Rothen and Sonea in confusion.

"Do you really both think that I love him back?"

"Yes" Rothen and Sonea chorused.

"But I don't! I feel affection for him, I'm very fond of him, but that's not love, right?"

"If you're very fond of him and you want him at the same time, that sounds pretty damn close to me" Sonea smiled. Aurelia groaned again and buried her head in her hands.

"I don't know what I feel. I don't even know what I think"

"I do" said Rothen wisely, "Your head is telling you that Dannyl's only been gone for a short while, so logically you must still love him, because that's what's supposed to happen. But your heart...your heart is telling you something else, and you're not listening"

"That sounds too sensible to be true" said Aurelia from behind her hands and hair, voice muffled, sounding slightly sulky.

"We just want what's best for you, Aurelia. And Dorrien" said Sonea, "I mean, if you think that you really don't love him, then we'll stand by you when the baby's born – well, we'll stand by you whatever you decide"

Aurelia looked up again, and she seemed tearful, "I'm going to have to talk to Dorrien, aren't I?"

Rothen nodded and said sagely, "Yes, you are"

* * *

"Hey, Dorrien" Aurelia put on a smile for when Dorrien opened the door. Sonea was right, he did look depressed. Oh dear. Maybe she should leave...

"Aurelia!" Dorrien looked surprised, but delighted too, "Come in"

"If I say some...some stuff, to you, will you just listen? I mean, will you let me finish before you say anything?" Aurelia asked awkwardly, sitting down. Dorrien sat opposite her, by the window. Novices were rushing to and from classes, like she should have been doing.

"If that's what you want" Dorrien agreed with a shrug, but his bright eyes told her that he was full of hope of what she was about to say.

Aurelia took a deep breath, "Dorrien...everyone keeps telling me that I'm in love with you, and it's just convention that's making me believe I'm still in love with Dannyl. I'm starting to think that they might be right" she paused, thinking that he might interrupt here, but he was too busy gazing at her, completely enraptured, "I...I really value you as a person. We've always got on well, and I really like being with you. I'm really fond of you, and...and, okay, I admit it, I want you too. When we were kissing it was just...overwhelming. But you've got to understand, I have a _lot_ of issues. And that's an understatement. I've never really been with someone who actually _loves_ me. My father raped me, he didn't love me. He was doing it for his own selfish pleasure; he didn't care a bit about me or what I felt. Dannyl...well, Dannyl was complicated. He didn't love me, I know that now, and he was never really concerned about me, not properly, and it was me seducing him! That's not the way it's meant to be. And I just...I'm pregnant, remember? Combined, that's a lot to handle. Maybe too much. And I would completely understand if maybe you didn't realise what you were letting yourself in for"

When she finished, she felt like she had been talking for hours. She felt slightly uncomfortable, too. Would that really make him understand how unsure she was? Would he understand that she wasn't sure what she felt, and would that be okay?

Dorrien was staring at her as if he couldn't quite believe what she had just said.

"Does that mean...does that mean you want to give it a go? With me?" he asked, slightly confused...slightly scared that that wasn't what she had meant at all.

She gave a lopsided sort of smile, "If that's what you still want...then yes"

Dorrien let out a whoop of delight that, admittedly, startled Aurelia. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up from the chair.

"Does that mean I can kiss you again?" he asked. Aurelia giggled. She had never been asked anything like that before.

"Yes" she replied softly. When they kissed, it was everything she had ever wanted out of a kiss. Kisses from her father had been repulsive, scary, dominating, kisses from Dannyl had actually been from her and had met little response, but this...this was perfection.

They stood there, entwined, by the window, kissing for a very long time. Aurelia was the first to break away slightly, and looked up at Dorrien with the most contented smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Dorrien..."

"Yes?" he ran his fingertips through her gorgeous hair, heard a soft sigh escape from her parted lips. She looked a little awkward, uncomfortable, even.

"I've – I've never been to bed with anyone who actually wanted me _for_ me. Who actually loved me" she hesitated, "I just...I know it's stupid...but if we are about to do this – and I know we should probably wait a while, but I think we'd both explode – it's sort of special for me"

"I'd wait if you wanted me to" said Dorrien, not sure that he really meant it. She looked amused.

"I don't think you would. And do you know what, I don't want to either. Maybe it's time I got over it" she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Dorrien, very lightly, along his jaw line, "Maybe I _want _to get over it"

Dorrien groaned, very softly, and ran his hands over her body through her robes, "Yeah...I'm definitely good with that"

* * *

"You look happy, Aurelia" said Sonea with a little smile, when Aurelia finally returned to her rooms. It was evening, by that point.

Aurelia smiled, a little smugly, "I am happy" she said, scooping up Lorkin and tickling him, making him squeal.

"You were gone a long time" Rothen added slyly. He and Sonea exchanged a glance as they caught Aurelia's grin.

"Was I? We had a lot to talk about"

"Well?" Sonea queried at last, losing patience, "Did you say yes?"

"Well..."Aurelia was enjoying drawing out her answer for as long as possible, "We're going to give it a try. Let's see if he still loves me when I'm fat"

"Aurelia, that's fantastic!" Sonea shrieked, hugging her friend and novice, "Oh, I'm so pleased. He's good for you, Aurelia, really good for you"

"You can say that again" Aurelia muttered with a little smirk, and Rothen shuddered. Yet he was still smiling.

"I'm really glad, too, Aurelia. I'll go and speak to Dorrien" he stood up, and made for the door. Aurelia giggled suddenly.

"Um, Rothen?"

"What?" Rothen asked warily.

"The room is in rather a mess at the minute. Just thought I should let you know"

Sonea laughed. Rothen shuddered again.

"Right. Yes. Um. Thanks, Aurelia"

"You're welcome, Rothen" Aurelia said sweetly, and set about twirling round the room with Lorkin in her arms, the perfect picture of happiness.

* * *

Dannyl was sitting in the library with Tayend when he heard his name called through mind communication. He jumped, and dropped the book he was holding. Tayend snorted with laughter, guessing what had made him jump, and looked up curiously.

_Dannyl?_

_Aurelia. How are you?_

_I'm well, thank you. Very well. And you?_

_I'm fine. But there's something going on that you're not telling me...I can hear it in your 'voice'. Tell me, now._

Aurelia giggled, _Dorrien and I...we've decided to make a go of it. You know. Being together._

_Oh!_ Dannyl smiled to himself, _That's fantastic! And it's going well?_

_Oh, yes. Wonderfully well._

_And was I right? Do you love him?_

_Yes. Yes, I think I do._

_Told you so!_ Cried Dannyl triumphantly.

_I have to tell you something else...something good, don't worry. About the baby._

_Yes?_

_I was checked over by a few of the Healers today, they say that all is well. They told me the gender of the baby._

Dannyl grinned, excited, _Tell me!_

_It's a girl_, said Aurelia, and he could hear the emotion there, the delight_, A lovely little girl._

_Well, she might not be lovely. She might turn out to be a brat_, Dannyl joked, secretly ecstatic. He had hoped for a girl, once he had come round to the idea.

_No child of mine will ever be a brat_! Aurelia retorted in mock indignation, I _wondered...could I tell you the name I like?_

_I'd love to hear it. I haven't thought of any._

_I like Melody. It's such a beautiful name. What do you think? Do you like it?_

_I love it! How did you think of it?_

_I was singing to Lorkin last night – he wouldn't sleep, I was trying to help Sonea out – and she said that my voice was such a lovely melody. And I just thought, oh, Melody! What a wonderful name! So, do you like it?_

_It's perfect. We'll call her Melody._

_Yes. I'm so glad you like it,_ Dannyl sensed distraction in her mind, _Oh, um, I had better shut up now. Dorrien's, er...calling me._

_If that's what you want to call it_, Dannyl laughed, _Speak soon, Aurelia. I'm glad everything's well._

_So am I. Speak soon! Give my regards to Tayend...if you think he'll take them._

_I'll try. Bye._

_Bye!_

"Who was it?" asked Tayend eagerly, putting down his book, "Come on, spill the beans! What new scandal has enveloped the guild?"

"I'm afraid I'm still the current scandal. It was Aurelia. The baby is a girl. We're going to call her Melody" Dannyl said all of this in a rush, not sure how Tayend would react, but, to his pleasant surprise, Tayend was smiling.

"I was hoping for a girl. If I have to be some sort of stepfather – wow, that sounds way too responsible for my liking – then I'd like it to be to a girl. We'd probably corrupt a boy beyond repair between the two of us" he paused, then added casually, "And how is Aurelia?"

"She's with Dorrien now. Rothen's son, do you remember him?"

"She moves on quickly" muttered Tayend scathingly. Dannyl smiled.

"To be honest, Tayend, I think she's been in love with him for a while. But I'm really pleased for her. She sounded so happy"

"Good" said Tayend grudgingly, "Tell her I said hello, next time"

Dannyl suppressed a laugh, "I will"


	20. Epilogue :'

**A/N: Here it is. The epilogue. I feel both excited and depressed. Please read the massive long AN I'm going to write after this chapter, it might be important. Well, it's important to me, anyway. Thank you so, so, so much. Please review one more time *sob*. Thanks for reading!**

4 Years Later

"I'm back! And exhausted!" Aurelia crashed through the front door of hers and Dorrien's rooms, dropping a pile of newly-acquired books on the floor. Now twenty-three and a wife and mother, she still looked nineteen and probably always would.

"Mummy!" a small, dark whirlwind in the form of three-and-a-half year old Melody appeared, flying towards her mother. Melody looked nothing like Aurelia. She had Dannyl's dark Kyralian roots, rather than Aurelia's fair Elyne features, and was a small, adorably plump child. However, she had definitely inherited Aurelia's temperament – she had already charmed Lorkin, now almost five, into believing that he was in love with her – and sometimes there was a sparkle in her eyes and a curve to her rosebud lips that they all recognised well.

"Hey, Mellie!" Aurelia grabbed her daughter up into her arms and gave her a smack of a kiss on those sweet rosy cheeks, "Have you been good for Do today?"

"'Course" replied little Melody, looking rather offended, "When will Lorkin be here?"

"Soon. Why don't you go and get all your toys ready to play with?" Aurelia had spotted her husband over the top of Melody's pretty dark head, and was, as always, eager to talk to him. In the last four years, there was rarely a day when they'd spent more than a couple of hours apart. Today, the day she had started her lessons again, had been almost scary without his reassuring presence.

Melody dashed off, and Aurelia at once moved towards Dorrien, smiling, and flung her arms around him in a fierce embrace.

"Was it that awful?" Dorrien chuckled, breaking the hug to look anxiously at his wife. Aurelia rolled her eyes.

"Yes! I'd forgotten how hard the lessons are! I have so many books...and I'd forgotten too how taking notes gives you hand cramp. I'm so tired" she slumped wearily against his shoulder, and Dorrien stroked her heavenly hair comfortingly.

"That's a pity" Dorrien replied forlornly, "We have guests, in case you hadn't forgotten, all coming here to celebrate you returning to your lessons. And I had a celebration of my own planned later"

"Oh, did you?" Aurelia face lit up with interest, "Oh, I'm sure I can summon up enough strength to enjoy that..."

Dorrien laughed loudly, "I bet you can"

Aurelia traced his lips lingeringly with her fingertips, "So what have you got planned?"

"You'll just have to wait and see"

"Aurelia! How did it go?" Rothen burst in, towing Lorkin by the hand, bright and jovial. Aurelia and Dorrien moved away from each other sharply, Aurelia blushing slightly. Rothen didn't seemed to have noticed, and neither had Sonea, who was hovering just behind. Lorkin ran over to Aurelia and Dorrien.

"Hello, Aunt Aurelia!" he greeted happily, "Hello, Uncle Dorrien! Is Mellie in her room?"

"She is. But I warn you, she's only got girly toys. You'll probably get bored" Aurelia cautioned amusement in her voice.

"I never get bored with Mellie!" Lorkin protested, looking scandalised by the suggestion. They all laughed, and, looking embarrassed, Lorkin rushed off to Mellie's room, where they heard her greet him with enthusiasm.

"Have a seat" Dorrien gestured to a circle of armchairs and Sonea and Rothen both sat down. Calculating that there wouldn't be enough chairs for them all when Dannyl and Tayend arrived, Aurelia perched on Dorrien's lap instead.

"It went okay" she shrugged, answering Rothen's earlier question, "It was tiring"

"We wouldn't have come if we'd known!" Rothen cried sympathetically, taking a glass of wine, "It's such a shame I can't take your classes anymore. Still, you'll have all the help you can get, what with Dannyl and I masters of Alchemy, Sonea and Dorrien into Healing and your friend Elle a Warrior"

"Poor Elle. She's still the only girl" Aurelia laughed, "Still, her latest boyfriend finds that very attractive"

Rothen, Sonea and Dorrien all laughed. Aurelia turned to look at Sonea, her eyes glittering with mischief and a smirk on her lips.

"Speaking of boyfriends..." she began, trying not to giggle, "How's Osen, Sonea?"

Sonea threw one of Aurelia's favourite cushions, almost knocking Aurelia's wine out of her hand, "We're not officially together, Aurelia. We're friends"

Aurelia snorted, "If you say so. Oh, come here" she stood up from her seat and grabbed Sonea by the arm, drawing her into a corner while Rothen and Dorrien carried on talking, "Now tell me everything. I tell you everything"

"Sometimes you tell me too much. I couldn't look at Dorrien for weeks after you told me how you spent your three-year anniversary" Sonea shuddered, "And anyhow, there's nothing to tell"

"There is! You've been up to something. Oh! Oh my goodness! Did you – Ooh, you did, didn't you?" Aurelia was getting rather shrill and excited by this time. Sonea looked puzzled.

"What did I do?"

"You've slept with Osen!" Aurelia hissed eagerly, her eyes wide, "You did, didn't you? You hadn't meant for it to happen and it just...it just _did_. That's so romantic"

"You're getting a bit carried away! I never said that we did!" Sonea protested, but she was blushing.

"Oh, I can tell. Now, I have to know – how did he compare?"

"To what? To who?"

"To Akkarin, of course!"

"Aurelia, that's a disgusting question. Akkarin was your _Uncle_, remember? Surely you can't want to know..." Sonea trailed off, now too horrified for words. Aurelia's eyes were still twinkling, and she was full-blown grinning by now.

"Of course I want to know. Tell. Now"

"He didn't compare, alright? I mean, it was nice...it was lovely - wait, remind me why I'm telling you this?"

"Because I am your friend. Because you love me. Now, carry on"

"He was the first man I've been with since Akkarin died, so yes, it was...nice. But he's no Akkarin" Sonea was now rather getting in to this conversation, "I do like him though, even if it isn't the same. But it never could be the same. He's my second best, and now that's all I've got left. It's the best I'm going to get"

"That doesn't sound like you're too keen on him" Aurelia replied doubtfully. Sonea smiled slightly.

"I think I could grow to love him. In time. Not the same way I loved Akkarin, but a different way. A...calmer way. Do you see what I mean?"

"Of course I do" Aurelia squeezed Sonea's arm, "I think we should sit down now. Rothen keeps looking over, and Dorrien too. I think Dorrien's talking about me"

Sonea looked amused, "And do you mind that he's talking about you?"

Aurelia giggled, "No! I love it!"

They both giggled and sat down again, Aurelia resuming her seat on Dorrien's knee. The door thudded open and Dannyl and Tayend burst in, in one of Tayend's regular flamboyant entrances.

An excited voice came from one of the bedrooms.

"Is that my Daddy? Daddy!"

And Melody appeared. She saw her father as often as he and Aurelia could arrange it, but it still wasn't enough for Melody, who, although she adored her mother, had from the beginning been a Daddy's girl. Dannyl let out a loud whoop of delight.

"Mellie!" and swung her round in the air. She shrieked with laughter.

"You'll make her si-ick" sang out Aurelia, sweeping over to kiss Dannyl's cheeks and exchange an awkward smile with Tayend, "Hello, Tayend. Hey, Dannyl"

"Aurelia" Dannyl kissed her cheek in return, "Has my brat been good?"

"As always" Aurelia replied fondly, ruffling Melody's curls, "Good, and still looking nothing like me"

"We can only hope that she grows into it" said Dannyl sympathetically, making Aurelia smile.

"Mellie, are you going to let Daddy go at any point?" she prompted sternly, "So that he and Tay can sit down?"

"Fine" Melody pouted, but obediently slid down to the floor, "Me and Lorkin are playing with my new toys, Daddy. Do you want to come and see them?"

"Of course" Dannyl allowed her to take his hand and pull him along, but turned back to grin at Tayend, "Keep the seat warm"

"Of course" Tayend echoed, smiling. He took some wine from Dorrien and flopped into a chair.

"How are you, Tayend?" asked Rothen. They had all found it difficult to get along with Tayend at first, but once his fun, spirited and exuberant side came out, they had begun to found it easier. Relations were still strained between him and Aurelia, but that was to be expected – they were at least civil to one another.

"Being driven mad by Dannyl's latest chunk of research. He's writing a book now, you wouldn't believe the mess our poor house is in, and he's driving me to distraction, he really is. But other than that, I'm well"

"Good, I'm glad to hear it" Rothen replied cheerfully, "And you know what Dannyl's like. He'll give up soon enough. Just like that converter he started to invent"

"I do hope so" Tayend's gaze fell on Aurelia and Dorrien, who were smiling at each other, "Are you two planning to have a sprog any time soon?" he asked nosily.

Sonea and Rothen leaned forward instinctively. They had wondered for a long time, but hadn't wanted to ask. They should have known that Tayend – dear, lovable, blunt Tayend – would ask for them.

Aurelia and Sonea exchanged a glance.

"Oh, yes" replied Dorrien, "We want a large family"

Aurelia nodded fervently, "But I have two and a half years of study left to complete. There's no point in us trying for children until after I've finished and graduated"

Tayend tilted his head to one side, considering, "I'm surprised you haven't fallen pregnant yet"

"Hasn't Dannyl told you? We have our own ways of...controlling...things" Dorrien explained, slightly awkwardly. Tayend laughed to see his embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry, I'd forgotten! I didn't mean to be rude"

"Yes you did" said Aurelia with a little smile, "That's why we all like you so much"

Tayend mock-bowed, "I'm flattered"

They grinned at each other, a rare occurrence, which Dannyl emerged from Melody's room just in time to see. He smiled delightedly. He loved to see the signs of them all repairing themselves after such a long time.

* * *

Many hours passed. A lot of wine was drunk. Dannyl grew emotional over how he would one day have to see Mellie married. Tayend kissed him a lot. Rothen got the giggles, which turned out to be contagious. Dorrien began to wish more and more that he was alone with Aurelia.

Aurelia and Dannyl put Melody to bed together, which Melody loved. Aurelia left Dannyl alone with his daughter for a little while after she had gone to sleep. She saw him plant a tender kiss on the little girl's forehead and felt glad, not for the first time, that she had been able to give him a child. It would have been a waste if he had never been a father.

Finally, they all departed. Dannyl and Tayend promised to be back within the week. And Aurelia and Dorrien were left alone.

"Now you're drunk as well as tired" Dorrien pointed out as he wrapped his arms around Aurelia, "Maybe we should leave our celebration for another night"

"Certainly not!" Aurelia protested indignantly, "We're going to bed, right now. And in the morning I'm going to be even more tired!"


	21. AN

Hey, everybody!

So, here's my massive Author's Note...

I want to say thank you so much to everyone that reviewed so faithfully, with so much praise for my writing, and I really hope that the ending, indeed, the entire story, has lived up to your hopes and expectations. So thank you to: X-Iceysummer-X, Laura Scofield, Azlira, SparkingxWhitexAngel, Nhu Angel, Brillzz and AlexieBelle. I really, truly appreciate it. More than you'll know. Plus I now think of a few of you as my friends, and that's always nice.

A lot of you have asked if I'm going to write more BMT fics, or if I have any more planned. If I'm honest, I don't know. I'd love to write more, I love BMT, but I haven't had any new ideas as yet. All I can say is watch this space! I come up with new ideas all the time, so who knows?

Just in case you're interested, I have a little idea in my head of what happened after the epilogue. So...

Sonea and Osen eventually got married, because Sonea realised that even if Osen was no Akkarin, he was still in love with her and, eventually, she fell in love with him too. It still wasn't the same, but what can you do? There are all different types of love, I guess.

Dannyl and Tayend lived a long, happy and rather decadent life together. Dannyl wrote a history book, and Tayend cleaned up the mess he left behind.

Aurelia finally finished her studies and chose the Healing discipline. Elle resented her for a while for not becoming a Warrior, but got over it. Aurelia and Dorrien went on to have five children of their own, some of whom did actually look like Aurelia! There were three further girls and two boys: Eden, Arbella, Liliana, Arius and Rothen. Melody ended up being a really good big sister to all of them, though she inherited her mother's general flirtatiousness and quick temper.

Lorkin and Melody spent years circling each other before realising that they were distantly related enough to be able to be together, and taking full advantage of this. Dannyl cried at the wedding. So did Sonea.

That's that from me, I guess. I can't thank you enough. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a new BMT story – I certainly hope so, at least! Bye! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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